


Slain Among Ice and Fire {Fairy Tail}

by EnergyMageFrea



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Devil Slayer Magic, Dragon slayer magic, F/M, Gen, Horatia - Freeform, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-08-23 22:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 296,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16627244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnergyMageFrea/pseuds/EnergyMageFrea
Summary: The truth behind what drives the SaberTooth Guild to be as ruthless and driven as they are has never been clear. Behind the stoney face and heartless actions- lay a Guild of people who's true selves are kept hidden, for sake of pure fear of the Master. The only people who know the truth- are those in the Guild itself, those oppressed and afraid. The only one in the Guild who is not afraid of the Master- or the Lady, is a woman who has no choice but to stay. She can't leave, she can't fight back- her life is property of the Master, and she is powerless against him..... But maybe in time, the true SaberTooth will come to be known, the SaberTooth she knows. Brave, loyal... A Family, if they ever could be allowed to be one. Her Family.But for now, it remains as Her Prison. And it may just be the death of her.





	1. Helping Secrets

****

**Chapter 1**

**Helping Secrets**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

_Lets talk a bit about Slayer Magic, shall we?_

_Slayer Magic is as old and as_ _timeless_ _as the world_ _itself_ _is. Its existed as long as there have been ancient beings, as long as_ _there_ _has been life and_ _evil_ _and darkness_ _that_ _needed_ _stopping_ _. There are Dragon_ _Slayers-_ _those_ _given_ _the_ _power_ _and_ _the_ _means_ _to_ _fell_ _those_ _age-old_ _beasts_ _that_ _once_ _held_ _dominion_ _over_ _the_ _world_ _._ _The_ _true_ _purpose_ _of_ _the_ _Dragon_ _Slayers_ _has_ _faded_ _with_ _the_ _centuries_ _,_ _and_ _is_ _nearly_ _all_ _but_ _unknown_ _what_ _came_ _to_ _pass_ _that_ _created_ _Dragon_ _Slayers_ _in_ _the_ _first_ _place.... But did you know there are also God Slayers?_

 _Now that's a bit of information not very well known among_ _the_ _common people._ _God_ _Slayers_ _have_ _been_ _lost_ _longer_ _than_ _the_ _Dragon_ _Slayers_ _have_ _,_ _because_ _they're_ _reason_ _for_ _existence_ _has_ _fallen_ _into_ _nothing_ _....._ _The_ _evil_ _and_ _the_ _turmoil_ _they_ _were_ _created_ _to_ _combat_ _have_ _been_ _missing_ _and_ _gone_ _for_ _centuries_ _now_ _,_ _so_ _they_ _too_ _faded_ _to_ _nothing_ _. The first appearance of a God_ _Slayer_ _in_ _centuries_ _passed_ _, was on that Island Fairy Tail has, Tenrou wasn't it?_

 _Oh yes, it was Zancrow; the Flame God Slayer. It happened almost seven years ago now...._ _That_ _record_ _of_ _the_ _past_ _isn't_ _all_ _together_ _lost_ _yet_ _,_ _I_ _still_ _hold_ _on_ _to_ _it._

 _And now, there's another God Slayer in Fiore. Two beings in possession of a Magic and skill lost for so long.... First Zancrow, and now_ _a_ _young_ _girl_ _in_ _the_ _Lamia_ _Scale_ _Guild....._ _Sherria_ _...._ _And_ _then_ _there_ _is_ _another_ _,_ _who_ _bears_ _the_ _mark_ _of_ _a_ _Tigers_ _head_ _....._

 _Three_ _Slayers_ _to_ _show_ _up_ _out_ _of_ _the_ _blue_ _...._ _That's_ _a_ _sure_ _sign_ _something_ _huge_ _is_ _coming_ _._ _Slayers_ _have_ _been_ _said_ _to_ _be_ _the_ _warnings_ _of_ _a_ _great_ _evil_ _,_ _as_ _it_ _is_ _their_ _existence_ _to_ _combat_ _darkness_ _._ _If_ _suddenly_ _there_ _is_ _a_ _Slayer_ _in_ _the_ _world_ _,_ _you_ _can_ _most_ _assuredly_ _assume_ _they_ _live_ _and_ _breath_ _to_ _combat_ _with_ _something_ _cold_ _,_ _and_ _dark_ _,_ _and_ _dangerous_ _._

 _Even more_ _obscure_ _knowledge_ _that_ _has_ _been_ _lost_ _about_ _the_ _Slayers,_ _is_ _the_ _knowledge_ _of_ _the_ _existence_ _of the Demon and Angel Slayers._ _Two_ _halves_ _of_ _the_ _same_ _coin_ _,_ _two_ _beings_ _that_ _exist_ _to_ _destroy_ _the_ _opposite_ _evils_ _...._ _One_ _righteous_ _,_ _the_ _other_ _darkness_ _in_ _itself_ _._ _Demon_ _,_ _or_ _rather_ _-_ _Devil_ _Slayers_ _,_ _they_ _were_ _lost_ _on_ _the_ _ages_ _of_ _the_ _world_ _in_ _which_ _the_ _Black_ _Wizard_ _reigned_ _free_ _and_ _ruled_ _._ _Angel_ _Slayers_ _...._ _They_ _live_ _on_ _,_ _but_ _not_ _seen_ _as_ _they_ _once_ _were_ _._

 _There's this old Legend I've managed to_ _scrounge_ _up, a passing tale if you will.... Saying that an Angel, Demon, Dragon and God Slayer all_ _wielding_ _the same respective Element would fight for the world in its time of need._

 _I've_ _been_ _doing_ _my_ _best_ _to_ _keep_ _track_ _,_ _just_ _in_ _the_ _event_ _this_ _Legend_ _somehow_ _holds_ _true_ _....._ _The_ _day_ _there_ _are_ _four_ _Slayers_ _,_ _all_ _holding_ _the_ _same_ _Element_ _...._ _That_ _is_ _the_ _day_ _this_ _world_ _ends_ _._ _It_ _may_ _be_ _hundreds_ _of_ _years_ _before_ _then_ _,_ _it_ _may_ _be_ _in_ _a_ _few_ _months_ _...._ _It_ _may_ _not_ _even_ _happen_ _in_ _this_ _Plane_ _of_ _Existence_ _._ _Its_ _all_ _a_ _guessing_ _game_ _._

_No one knows hardly anything about Slayers, their Magic, their purpose, and their Origin. It isn't important on most terms, especially if you don't see it that way._

_Seeing the things_ _I_ _have, the_ _subtle_ _signs and messages.... I don't think the world is gonna hold out for much longer. And I only say this because I know how important Slayers are to the world, I know why we need them, and I know that great evil will come if things continue on as they are._

 _We lost too many Slayers seven years ago. If I'm counting right, we lost half the_ _world's_ _Dragon Slayers and one God Slayer that day; Fire, Lightning, Sky and_ _Iron_ _,_ _all_ _these_ _Elements_ _...._ _Lost_ _in_ _the_ _swirling_ _chasm_ _of_ _the_ _Apocalyptic_ _Dragon's_ _breath_ _._

 _The world relies upon a sort of internal Balance that the presence of Slayers creates, the world_ _doesn't_ _know about it, no one does. Its not something you 'know', rather its something you feel. But only if you're sensitive enough._

 _The Balance that Slayers bring to the forces of evil and good in the world was tipped dangerously when they disappeared. Things may not seem to have started to deteriorate here in Fiore, but they have...._ _I've_ _seen_ _it_ _,_ _I've_ _felt_ _it_ _..._ _I'm_ _living_ _it_ _._

 _Evil is_ _rising-_ _great_ _,_ _cold_ _,_ _powerful_ _darkness, we need those four Dragon Slayers back._ _Without_ _them_ _,_ _evil_ _will_ _rise_ _and_ _those_ _left_ _may_ _not_ _be_ _able_ _to_ _win_ _._ _We_ _may_ _fall_ _._

 _Zancrow is dead, the world is down a Slayer- and a God Slayer no less._ _Such_ _a_ _rare_ _thing_ _.._

 _Although the others- the Dragon Slayers from Fairy Tail are lost, have been for seven years now, they are still alive...._ _I_ _know_ _they_ _are_ _still_ _alive_ _._ _I_ _can_ _feel_ _it_ _._

_They need to come back, if not for the Balance of the World, or to help with whatever darkness rears its head in the future... but because why leave them lost, when they could be found?_

_No one deserves to stay trapped... no one.  
_

_My plan is to try and help find them, but that may be difficult...._ _I_ _can't_ _get_ _involved_ _directly_ _._ _My_ _assistance_ _cannot_ _be_ _direct_ _...._ _I_ _have_ _to_ _be_ _careful_ _..... Master will like it very much if I leave........_ _Nor_ _what_ _I_ _plan_ _to_ _do_ _._

_But you know what? Fuck It._

_Master can burn in hell, he doesn't deserve to lead this Guild. He can punish me when I come back however he wishes, it won't bother me. This is something I must do, if they don't come back... I'm afraid of what the future will hold._

_Let_ _Master_ _be_ _angry_ _...._ _The_ _Balance_ _of_ _this_ _world_ _means_ _more_ _than_ _his_ _anger_ _,_ _or_ _disapproval_ _._

* * *

 

Wind pushed the waves back and forth relentlessly into the docks of Hargeon Port- lapping at ships and the wooden supports lazily, birds flew overhead, carried gently on the breeze, nothing more than white specks against a clear blue sky. The town was bustling under the light of the afternoon sun, traders and fisherman, travelers and citizens talking amongst themselves, conversation floating on the air softly.

Atop of the hill rising above the heights of Hargeon, on the higher most building gazing out across the vast port town and its bustling commerce, a figure cloaked in black stood atop the shingles. They were tall, slim, and completely motionless.

They stood facing the ocean, their warm dark blue gaze resting upon the ship waiting in harbor, with a band of people preparing to leave. The flag of the once strongest Guild was flitting in the wind atop the ship, its glory long passed. Even the members of the Guild preparing to shove off did not hold the same feeling of respect they once had.... Now they were a defeated, weak congregation of people looking somber, not all together hopeful as she had expected.

The figure shifted slightly, letting out a small exasperated sigh, slowing pulling down her hood to let the overhead sunlight bathe her. Her hair of short medium length and cut choppy, with a single strand of it near the front braided with multicolored beads woven into it. Her hair shone like a brand of pale fire in the sun, being orange that slowly faded to red then pink, before falling away to black near the ends. She was lean, seemingly thin but she seemed strong despite her appearance- with a slightly small bust and long legs, wearing a pair of black leather shorts with a leather shirt with numerous buckles across her stomach, sprouting a peculiar design imprinted into the leather. In each ear were three small gauges, one red, one black, and the other icy blue. Black combat boots reached up to her knees, and a belt hung loosely about her waste with several different pouches attached to it. A scar ran along her upper right shoulder all the way down her arm to end at her wrist.

She crossed her arms over her chest, gazing toward the Mages with a frown upon her face, she had expected more enthusiasm from them this morning. Considering, they were well on their way to travel out to where Tenrou Island used to sit.... And where she guessed it still remained. Where she felt it remained alive and well... With those Mages lost to the world seven years ago in the cold, dark embrace of Apocalyptic fire. She shuddered slightly at the thought of great black wings dancing on the edge of her mind.

The hopeful and excited group she had expected to be boarding the ship toward the Island- was _silent_ , tense, and somber... Even from her perch she could tell that they were not at all hopeful nor excited for their voyage.... She growled a little under her breath.

She had believed when she sent the information to Hibiki just a week ago or so- that there were spikes of Ethernano and Magic dancing about that part of the sea Tenrou sat in, and when he in turn along with his fellows passed it along to Fairy Tail, that they would be happier than _this_. Hell, they should be thrilled, nearly even ecstatic.... She supposed they had right to doubt, perhaps they had a hard time believing there could be such good fortune- this sort of miracle after the hardships she knew they must have faced these last seven years.... But holding on to hope, she had expected them to do that at least.

She had hope, she was sure that they lived... They were alive, and she held on to that more dearly than Fairy Tail itself did. Perhaps that was because she knew the stakes of losing those four Dragon Slayers forever.

"If you don't hope for a good report," she sighed softly, her dark blue eyes never leaving the ship. "How can you expect the world to let you have one?" She stayed watching the group in silence for a few moments longer, before, with a shake of her head she turned away from the expanse of water. Her attention turned toward the north, and she blinked, eyes narrowed.

"... I wonder if they noticed I left?" She said softly, nearly wispily, as she began to walk across the roof away from the ship she had previously been watching. A small cold sense of dread started seeping into her heart at the thought,

_I did what I needed._

She halted, eyes growing wider as her attention focused not on her thoughts- but on the world around her instead. The slight breeze suddenly died over Hargeon, the birds chatter ceased, and even the buzz of the town fell away. The air was still, and she closed her eyes- feeling as if time itself seemed to fall into nothing.... And she sensed something new instead, felt eyes on her back where they shouldn't have been. The stranger's eyes flashed, the blue giving way to something different- but so quickly it couldn't be told what.

"Who are you?" A small, calm voice asked from behind her and she turned slowly, eyes fixing upon the figure of a girl, shimmering slightly gold with long pale blonde hair, and green eyes. She was young, outwardly- though in the back of her mind she could feel the age the girl held.... The power, perhaps even the wisdom. And she knew immediately this was no regular girl standing behind her, she felt it on instinct.

The girl faltered slightly as the other's eyes landed on her, looking rather shocked and taken aback as if she hadn't been expecting to be heard at all-

"How is it that you can see me?" The girl asked her second question slowly, her tone cautious and wary. The other simply gazed back at her calmly, shifting slightly to face her, and turn her back on the north again. "I have noticed you before, watching my Guild.... Waiting........... Helping.." She paused. "Who are you, a stranger? To help a group of people who you owe nothing to?"

The other blinked, running a hand through her hair as she gazed at the smaller girl steadily, in her eyes a swath of emotion that couldn't begin to be placed suddenly flickered in the deep blue depths.

"Its not your guild personally I've been trying to benefit." She answered softly, "Its a more broad target I've been doing this for..... A greater good if you will." She murmured and the Girl narrowed her eyes, looking skeptical. "On the note as to why I can see you, I'm not necessarily an ordinary human.... My senses are rather.... Sensitive, I suppose."

"... But who are you? What greater purpose would you have to do this?" The girl went on, her green gaze never wavering. "To sacrifice time to help to find those lost? To push those remaining in the right direction? Surely it isn't selflessness? No one has cared nor given thought to my Guild in seven long years... No one has done anything to try and ease their pain and sadness, no one at all. And yet... You're doing just that."

"Hmm... Its complicated I suppose." The other replied easily. "Personally, I think the world needs those Wizards back. Because I think something big is coming.... And personally..." She trailed off slightly, her blue eyes falling closed.

".... Pain and suffering, grief... Those are things that should only be endured for so long. I wouldn't wish what those remaining in your Guild have gone through on anyone. The heartbreak and the humiliation and the dwindling faith alone...." Her jaw clenched slightly, before she smiled just a little, shrugging her shoulders. "... I guess I'm just a big softie, but I can't help it." Her blue gaze settled on the other, who looked back at her with a look of slight surprise and near.... Wonder.

"Now.... I would prefer to leave this small discussion at that, if its all the same to you. I've done what I meant to... Now I have my own troubles to deal with." She murmured, waving a hand as she turned and began to walk away. "Don't you have a Guild to 'resurrect'?" She called over her shoulder lightly, smirking just a little.

"... Wait!" The girl called quickly, just as the other was about to step from the edge of the roof. She glanced back, blinking. "You never told me who you are." She pointed out, and the other smiled, looking away again.

"... Just a concerned bystander."

Without another word, she stepped off the edge of the roof without a second glance back, as the breeze blew again, and all noise returned to the world. The blonde girl remained where she was for a long while, her green eyes wide and slightly taken aback.

A stranger.... Who had been working to find out if those on Tenrou were still alive or not. A stranger concerned with the well being of those who had been lost for years.... And so invested, she worked to bring those remaining in Fairy Tail news and proof they were still there. That Tenrou was still there.... But for what?

... Kindness? Of a stranger, working in secret to provide a helping hand...?

"...how odd." Mavis murmured quietly, before she smiled softly to herself. "Whoever you really are.... Thank you for doing what you can to give the Guild hope again." She silently hoped they would cross paths again someday.

* * *

 

"Hora!" (Or-ah) The deep blue gaze of the young woman opened as she slowed to a halt, head tilted slightly and expression neutral. She turned around at the easily recognizable voice, in her heart she slowly felt dread creeping in.... Foreboding that grew stronger and stronger the closer she came to 'home'.

From further up the street, two men came running toward her, both looking serious- as she guessed they should be, if she had any clue what was coming next. Citizens split apart to let them through, casting anxious, hateful, and even scared glances at them as they passed- much like they did when she herself walked through the streets. She always felt the cold glares and silent stares of the townspeople, she couldnt get away from it.... It was reputation.

 _It_ _isn't_ _the_ _sort_ _of_ _reputation_ _anyone_ _should_ _have_ _..._ _Ever_ _...._ _Damn_ _this_ _Guid_ _._ _Damn_ _that_ _man_ _._

Of the two men coming toward her, one was a poker-faced man with black hair and red eyes, while his companion had pale blonde hair and blue eyes, bearing a white mark upon his shoulder in the shape of a large cats head. A similar mark emblazoned in icy blue that she had on her right shoulder blade, though it wasn't visible at the moment.

Neither of them looked particularly happy, though she had expected that upon returning. She expected a lot more than unhappiness..... Again, _damn that man._ Her teeth gritted at the thought, the sense of forebodings inside of her suddenly deepening.

_I did what was needed..._

Behind the two men, flew two cats. One was red, while the other green and sporting a pink frog suit. The two cats flew behind the men closely, they were hardly ever seen without the company of their Partners.... Not only Partners, but best friends.

She sighed silently, waiting patiently as they neared her and the street cleared of people rather fast- the townspeople were wary of what three Wizards of the Guild in town could get up to alone, and they weren't willing to risk anything. Even in their hometown, they were feared.... And she couldn't say she liked such a thing. She hated it... People just.... They didn't know.

"Where the hell have you been?" The blonde one of the two huffed, looking serious. "The Master is furious, he's been demanding for you all morning, Hora." He said seriously, in his eyes she saw worry, and her stomach fell a little.

'Hora', or Horatia as her full name was, simply frowned and huffed a little. Despite the cold growing in her, she was still angry... And stubborn to the end.

 _I did what I needed to._ Nothing would change her mind of that fact...

.... But it also wouldn't help her with what was coming either. She doubted anyone would understand her reasoning. She doubted they would.... Though they may try.

"And what the hell could our almighty _'Master'_ want from me?" She said, voice full of venom that surprised both men, they sweatdropped at the clear disgust on her face and frowned a little, eyes glinting uncertainly.

"Hora....." The blonde murmured. "You can't speak of the Master like that..." he warned and she only huffed. She could honestly care less.

"You're too smitten with the man." Horatia muttered coldly- her tone much too flinty for how she'd usually speak to them, her eyes glinting in clear irratation. "Or are you scared of him like the rest of the town and the Guild?" She hissed, this made the blonde back off, knowing full well he shouldn't try to argue with her, and a little taken a back how forward she was being with her anger. She was usually more reserved than this...

"What's put you in such a fine mood?" The black-haired one asked in a monotone voice, still trying to replace his poker face manner. He knew it was useless with Horatia, though. She could always see right through him, and she often wondered why he bothered.... But she knew the reason.

Emotion was weakness, as according to the Master. He kept the PokerFace and hid who he truly was because he had to- he had to live up the the standards of the Master like they all did, or there would be severe consequences. They all pretended, and acted differently than they were, or even wanted to.... Because they all were frightened.

 _We_ _have_ _right_ _to_ _be_ _..._ But she was nearly done being afraid. At least... For herself.

Hora's blue eyes shifted toward him and she sighed, suddenly regretting the way she was acting. She could tell they were tense, and her attitude wasn't helping any... She hated seeing them worried. She cared for them too much, and she couldn't help herself..... She got them into this. She'd make sure they got out of it... Eventually.

"Nothing," she muttered, shaking her head a little and taking in a breath. "....Nothing that you would understand at any rate.... Sorry for snapping, I didn't mean to." Her eyes fell closed, running a hand down her face in clear exasperation.

They paused a moment, exchanging quick glances, still tense... Still worried.

"Is it..... Something important?" She heard one of them ask hesitantly, recognizing it immediately as Sting's voice.

"Or.... Is it something personal?" Rogue asked softly, nearly gently as of he was afraid he was crossing the line.

She sighed again, her blue gaze settling on them again as she shook her head, "No, its nothing personal." She replied softly. "And at this point... Its nothing important either."

"But where have you been?" The third voice, belonging to the red cat- Lector- asked.

"Fro wonders too." Frosch murmured, raising a paw.

"Hargeon." Hora answered lightly. They blinked at the response, wondering what she would be doing there....? She didn't give them time to ask, it didn't matter anymore... It was done.

"Now, what did Master want?" She asked, keeping the amount of venom in her voice low this time around, but still noticeable. She gestured at them, "You wouldn't be out here looking for me if he wasn't pissed. So what is it?"

They didn't answer for a moment, and she could feel the tension and slight inkling of fear crackling off of them as the sense of dread grew heavy inside her heart. The looks on their faces.. The fear in their eyes, she knew it was bad.

She had known these four for some time now and grown close with them. She knew them all rather well- the true them, not the visage the world saw through the haze of fear and hatred their Guild's reputation had created- and it was rather rare for them to be this silent, despite first appearances. They were a rowdy bunch... Though lately, they were just... Solemn.

"What?" She questioned again, and this time Rogue looked to her slowly. His red eyes gleamed in uncertainty and tenseness that made her heart clench- she saw worry, true worry and concern. Concern for her.

"Master... Is very angry..." The black-haired man said in a low tone and she blinked skeptically, seeing he was hesitating slightly in trying to explain. "He.... Well..."

"The Master believes you have betrayed the Guild."

Horatia whipped around, immediately recognizing the voice and spotting the from of 'SaberTooth's Lady' standing up the street from them. She smiled wickedly at the group, and her heart fell to her stomach. An icy chill fell over her, eyes narrowed and a bead of sweat dripping down her face.

"What...?" Horatia murmured, eyes narrowing even more at the ridiculous accusation.

 _Betrayed_ _!?_

Minerva waved a finger at them, "Tsk.. tsk..." She clicked her tongue, her eyes locked on to Sting and Rogue, "What would Master say if he found out you tried to warn the Traitor?" She asked, they visibly tensed, sweatdroping at the threat.

Horatia took a small step backward, sweatdropping. She recognized the look on Minerva's face, and she was suddenly very afraid- but not for herself. She could tell Minerva wanted nothing more than to hurt someone, and she was afraid she would take that urge out on Rogue and Sting..... Or even Lector and Frosch.

She placed herself between Minerva and the four behind her with a single step, eyes hardening and looking toward Minerva with the calmest expression she could muster at the moment- quite frankly very angry at the ridiculous accusation, and itching to lay into Minerva. She stopped herself though, fighting Minerva would be a death sentence... If the woman didn't kill her, Master most certainly would. And for him it would be all too easy...

"Traitor?" Horatia asked lowly, doing her best to keep her voice from raising in anger, "On what evidence may I ask, _My Lady?"_ She sneered the last words despite her effort not to. She and Minerva had never gotten along, simply because she only saw that very thing she hated in their Master, in his daughter.

_Damn that woman._

Minerva raised an eyebrow at the venom for the name, only smirking more because she was being egged on. "We've received warning that you have been helping another Guild." Minerva answered, and despite her effort not to, Horatia stiffened at the truth in the words- she hadn't thought she'd be found out that quickly.

Minerva noticed the subtle action, and smiled more. Behind her, Hora could feel Sting and Rogue's incredulous gazes on her. "As you know very well, SaberTooth helps no one but ourselves- that is law, as stated by our Master." Minerva lift a hand, "SaberTooth is not to bow to the levels of others, We are the strongest Guild!" Horatia tensed considerably, now feeling that she was in true danger- seeing blood lust rise in Minerva's expression. "SaberTooth has no need for _Traitors!"_

Minerva's Magic wrapped around her body instantly before she could even begin to think about retaliating, the woman's hold on her instantly sending her into a void of darkness for but a split second, and in that split second she felt invisible whips lash out at her back, tearing the skin and clothes, causing her to cry out in pain at the onslaught of burning agony. In a split second she was ripped from her place between Minerva and those four behind her, ripped from her world and into another.

And then she hit the floor of the Guild Hall, just at the feet of the looming figure of the SaberTooth Guild Master, his entire countenance spilling in anger and rage, and dark, malicious intent. All of it, aimed toward her.

Hora struggled to raise her head, her back searing in pain as she lay out, sprawled upon the ground, body trembling from the sheer pain she was in. Inwardly, she hated the low position, knowing it only added to the humility as was being awarded.

 _Traitor... Traitor....._ She wasn't a Traitor, at least not in the normal sense. Yes, she had helped out another Guild, but this was only deemed traitorous because of the ungodly standards set by Master himself- standards Horatia did not agree with in the slightest.

SaberTooth... SaberTooth didn't even deserve to be called a Guild at all. There was nothing good about this damned place, it was awful, it was brutal... Violent. Master Jiemma was a nightmare, his daughter nearly the same... And so encompassed by sheer terror the Members were, terror of Master and Minerva alike... No one had the courage to stand up and stop the madness and sheer brutality in the Guild.

No one outside those in the Guild understood it.... No one knew what SaberTooth really was.

The reputation the Guild had was owed to it because of the things they were forced to do and act like- for fear they be punished by Jiemma or Minerva. The Master and the Lady wanted nothing but power and status, they wanted to rule a Guild that was feared and renowned- and they were prepared to do whatever it took to keep the Guild running in their vision of it. They used brutality and fear to force the Members of the Guild to submit to their laws, their rules, and their standards... They scared everyone into becoming what they weren't. What they didn't want to be.

The Members of SaberTooth, those aside from the Master and his daughter... They were not evil. They were not bad, they weren't ruthless, nor inherently violent or brutal. In all reality, they were good people.... But no one knew it. The world didn't see it, because the Master had made it so everyone believed SaberTooth to be brutal, ruthless, to be feared and to be the strongest. Weaklings couldn't be in his 'perfect' Guild, and those who didn't live to what he wanted.....

They'd end up where she was now.

A part of her had known this was coming. She knew she was bound to suffer consequences when the Master became aware of her helping another Guild... A Guild he thought weak, and maybe it was- though not for long, she knew. She smirked inwardly at the thought... Maybe Fairy Tail had been down in the dumps for years now... But now she knew their strongest Wizards were coming back, and silently hoped that Jiemma would see that in full force....

... she distinctly remembered telling herself to screw Master and his 'laws'. At the time it seemed the best idea, even now she was all for it- stubborn as she was, and so utterly fed up with his tyranny.

Only... she realized how stupid that righteousness and hatred was.... Because for however much she hated this Guild, it's Master, it's rules.... And most of all it's 'Lady', she had no choice but to _deal_ with it. Sure, she may want to rebel, she really wanted to knock Jiemma around, and Minerva too. She wanted to fight, to stand up and finally say _hell_ _no_ _._ But she couldn't, someone else could... But they were all too scared. She wanted to stand up to that bastard of a man and his bitch daughter.... But she hadn't the power to.

SaberTooth _owned_ her. Or more accurately, _he_ owned her. She was nothing more than a slave to Master Jiemma, and he very well knew it- just as much as she was painfully aware of it.

 _I_ _can't_ _do_ _a_ _damn_ _thing_ _._


	2. I Wish...

**Chapter 2**

**I Wish....**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

"Worthless rat!!!" Master boomed, grabbing Horatia from her hair and tossing her across the building to smash into a wall easily, as if she was nothing more than a doll.

Horatia yelled out in pain as she hit the wall, hitting the floor again with a loud thud. She looked toward the looming figure of Jiemma from her humiliating position on the floor, too stunned and beaten to fight back- not that fighting him would do her any good. She knew better, for her... It was best to accept the beating, instead of giving him reason and incentive to go ahead and kill her.

... Being as mad as he was, he may just do that...

Minerva smirked from where she sat casually upon the balcany overhead, watching the scene with sickening amusement. Everyone else in the building stood back from the two, all silent and tense, standing in uniform rows on orders from Master, watching with horror and fear- they wanted to look away, but knew doing so may anger the Master further. He did like making the other Members watch punishment, it kept them in line. Kept them afraid to stand up and fight back against his cruelty.

And what deserved her this? This torture? She helped another Guild, one down on their luck. She helped locate a number of lost people and eventually allow them to be returned ri the people they loved the most... And innreturn, she was being beaten so brutally, because Master thought it was weak to help anyone so weak and helpless in his eyes.

Kindness of a stranger... The need to return four Slayers to the world.... Because she believed Balance need be restored... That cost her this.

"How dare you submit like that?!" The man yelled, she hissed at the pain, eyes scrunched closed against it. "No SaberTooth Mage submits to helping weak pathetic Wizards!!" His massive foot came down on top of the young woman harshly, making the floor under her cave in. A sickening crack echoed from her already beaten body around the hall, causing the onlookers to sweatdrop and even flinch.

This time, Horatia kept her mouth shut, unwilling to show the pain, though it was clearly visible in her blue gaze. Master had always been brutal.... But this was extreme, and the Members of the Guild knew it. Master had always been harsh with Horatia of all people, though they were never sure why...

"We are the strongest Guild in all of Fiore! What you have done is an insult to this Guild!!!" His foot repeatedly came down upon her, each time harder, and each time getting harder for Horatia to keep herself quite.

Since she had been sent here by Minerva, Jiemma had continued to beat her bloody, in the most harsh way he could muster- and Horatia only endured it, knowing better than to fight back. To fight back was quite frankly suicide- everyone in the Guild knew that the Master would not take kindly to the resistance of anyone, and they feared the consequences. Horatia knew the severity of the consequences all too well, and wouldn't dare push her luck more than she already had.

She hated that she couldn't do anything...

"Even worse, to go behind my back and do as you please?!" In a blast of Magic, Horatia was launched into the air to smash into the ground, her body bouncing off the stone painfully. "Who do you think you are?!!!!!"

Master's anger boiled over as he began to hit Horatia with an insane amount of Magic- the likes of which shook the air, buffeting the watching members, the blasts hitting her relentlessly for what seemed like forever. In the beginning she didn't make a noise, but soon the power behind the attacks increased and her yells of pain ripped through the heart of everyone watching, many of them shut their eyes, their hearts dropping and bodies tensing.

The last attack echoed with a boom, and the form of the young woman lay motionless on the cracked stone floor, limp, beaten, bloody, and broken.

Everyone's eyes grew wide, never before had the cruelty of the Master reached this level before..... And it scared them. It terrified them, they may want to stop this... Many of them did, but sheer terror stopped them. They knew this was wrong, very, very wrong... Master was already angry, he was so powerful and violent.... They couldn't work themselves up to be put in the firing line of the man's sudden insane wrath.

Horatia didn't blame them for staying still. Even despite her agony, and her own hatred... She understood their fear, and didn't hold it against them. She couldn't.

"Oh... No......" Yukino breathed, hovering at the edge of the gathered onlookers, trembling at the sight.

"This is insane...."

"He's gonna kill her..."

"She might already be dead..."

Murmuring broke out among the watchers, all of them low, all of them terrified, and all of them to scared to do anything. Jiemma didn't hear the murmurings, all his attention was turned on the one who had made him angry- and he lift his foot again to strike down upon Horatia's motionless form.

"Hora!" Rogue and Sting stepped forward, eyes wide in horror at the scene. They had been trying to stay out of it for as long as they could manage, ever aware of Minerva's attention on them in case they tried to intervene. But Horatia had been their friend for many years- and to see her be beaten so brutally was too much, they couldn't stand back and let it go on anymore. They themselves were nearly past breaking point with Jiemma's brutality toward the Guild, and now seeing Hora enduring this.... They had no choice, they were going to st-

"Stay.... Out of... It.... _Idiots....!"_

The both of them came to a sudden halt, astounded to hear Horatia hiss the words with such conviction, just low enough that only they would have been able to hear it with their heightened hearing. They stopped, eyes wide and sweatdropping as one of her eyes opened to look their way, alight with the brightest fire they had ever seen in them. There was no mistaking the pain on her gaze, but brighter than that was something they hadn't been expecting- _anger._

Unbridled anger she was only just managing to keep from spilling over... They faltered, seeing immediately she meant it when she told them to stay put. It was an _order_.

With yet another sickening crunch, Master's foot came down upon Horatia as hard as he could manage. The young woman's entire body tensed at the almost unbearable amount of pain that flared up inside her, she tensed her jaw, biting down on her tongue as she kept herself absolutely silent.

It was an unspoken rule really, the more noise anyone made while being hit or punished by the Master, only entailed the punishment more harsh. The Master hated anything that could be seen as weakness in the Guild, therefore... You had to stay as quiet as you possibly could. Horatia knew this rule, and yet trying to stick to it was harder than possibly imaginable... But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her yell, her anger was bubbling more and more.

"If I ever find you doing anything like this again, you are out of this Guild." Jiemma growled in a dangerously low voice.

Horatia scrunched her eyes closed, _now wouldn't that be a blessing?_ If only he were actually willing to let her go... That was never going to happen. Ever.

Jiemma whipped around and stalked off toward a back hallway in the Building, toward his throne room. "Don't any of you dare try and help her, or you'll get the same treatment." He warned the onlookers; who all seemed to gulp- looking frantically between the daunting figure of their Master, and the bloody and broken figure of Horatia uncertainly.

"Minerva, I wish to speak with you." Master called and Minerva frowned slightly, putting on a small pout.

"Mm... But I wanted to play with her a bit more, Father." She called in a sickly-sweet voice.

 _"NOW!"_ Was the reply and Minerva sweatdropped, before following him quickly. In a few moments the two were out of sight,

The rest of them remained in strained silence for a moment or two, all of them motionless as their minds sluggishly tried to process what they had just seen...... It was... Terrifying... Awful.

The sharp gasp of pain that Horatia finally allowed to escape her throat brought a few back to the present, and Rogue and Sting rushed forward immediately. The air started to shake with painful, tearing coughs as Horatia coughed harshly, blood splattering onto the floor, wheezing as the scarlet liquid dripped from the edge of her mouth continually.

"Atia...!" Lector and Frosch half cried, half choked as they followed their Partners up to her, tears in their eyes and trembling. Never before had they seen Horatia wounded to this extent, and by their own _Master_ no less....

"Easy, easy...!" Sting warned quietly, crouching down on his knees with Rogue beside the young woman, sweatdropping heavily at the sight of her bloody and broken body trembling and shaking violently as Horatia tried to sit up. She failed to do so, and only allowed herself to continue to wheeze while still lying on the floor, propped up on her elbows slightly, too broken and weak to move the way she wanted.

"Hora..." Rogue murmured, red gaze sweeping over her as he took in the damage. The look of sheer horror and utter worry that passed over his features was shared by Sting, who's eyes were wide and glinting, feeling his heart racing as he saw how badly hurt she was.

Hora's eyes flicked toward the Shadow Dragon Slayer, before they fell closed, seeming to begin to fall into unconsciousness, the only relief she would have from the pain of her beaten body. It was no surprise she would pass out, given her state- Sting and Rogue just felt themselves grow tense to think, being as beaten as she was....

"......... Hold on, we'll help..." Rogue murmured softly, barely finding his voice, then adding to Sting; "She needs Medical attention, quickly."

Sting nodded, but looked a little panicked. "Where the hell are we gonna get that?" He muttered lowly, "No doctor here in the city is going to help knowing Master did this..." His heart began to race, as Rogue's eyes fell. They both knew that was true... The townspeople were so afraid of SaberTooth, and especially the Master- if they knew it was that man who had done this, and ordered Hora not be helped, no one would be brave enough to help her at all. But she needed help, now. They didn't know the full extent of the wounds, no- but they knew she needed medical attention and quickly, otherwise....

They felt their hearts nearly stop, and their blood run cold at the thought- without help, and in this state... Hora might die.

"... You... Two... Shouldn't be.... Helping me....... Either......" Both their eyes fell at the sound of the voice, immediately knowing it was Horatia who was whispering them between her harsh, strained breaths. "... Master... Forbade that... Didn't he...?" She muttered, managing to force one eye open to look at them- glazed over now with pain and weakness, completely void of her earlier fire and true anger that had made them stop themselves from jumping in to intervene. "... I won't... Let you two... Dumbasses risk...... Helping me..... If you're gonna end up... The same way... Tch....." Horatia hissed through gritted teeth, each word hurt to simply say.

"Leave me... Be..."

" _Hell no."_ Both men said at once, surprising her with the amount of conviction in their eyes. She faltered, looking rather shocked for a moment before pain overtook that feeling and she cringed, teeth grinding down on one another.

"...d....am....n... It......." She wheezed, her entire body ridgid and shaking under the gentle hands that Sting and Rogue had placed upon shoulders in an earlier plan to help her up, but they didn't dare for a few moments- thinking moving her may not be the best idea... Though there wasn't a choice.

Not for the first time they were reminded with what they had thought for a long time; that perhaps the cruelty of the Master was too much to endure- to much of a high price to pay for being here and remaining in the Guild. To see such an old friend as Horatia be broken and quite frankly _tortured_ as this was almost too much- and it _should_ have been to much.

The only thing standing in their way of leaving this Guild- was no small amount of fear and common sense.

".... You two are.... Gonna get killed.... If you.... Help....." Horatia made one last attempt to dissuade Rogue and Sting from what they had already determined they would do- it was useless, and was made more so when she had to break off in the middle of her sentence to cough up more blood onto the stone floor.

"We don't care." Sting hissed back, perhaps in a tone more harsh then he may have wanted.

"Let the Master do as he wants," Rogue growled,

"You're our friend, no threat the Master could make is gonna keep us from helping you." They said simultaneously and Horatia allowed her eyes to fall closed again, fully aware that there would be no changing their minds. A part of her loved them for that, and a part of her hated that they were so willing to let this- this brutality she had just endured, happen to themselves.

"Atia....." Lector and Frosch whispered with fearful and frightened eyes, inching closer so that they could both lay a paw on her arm gently. One eye opened half-way to see the two, and suddenly she hated that they were dealing with this. With her.

If there was anything she wanted more than all the riches of the world.... The thing she wished for most was the prospect of them being safe. Of Rogue, Sting, Lector, Frosch and everyone she cared for to be safe.... Away from harm and happy....

... She couldn't give them that, and she knew it deep inside.

She wasn't sure why, or when it happened... But after first meeting the four, she fell in love with them. She cared for them deeply and a sense of protectiveness so strong it had shocked her suddenly raged through her being. She wanted them happy, it made her the happiest person in the works to see them happy, to see them smile..... She knew in her heart she'd do anything for them.

That's why she told them to stop when she saw them about to rush in to her aid. She didn't want them getting hurt, not over anything... And if she had to endure agony in their place, to spare them harm- then so be it. That was her one true wish.... That she could keep them safe, and happy, and protected....

 _....._ _But_ _I_ _can't_ _._

Suddenly, a great black wave crashed over her vision, and her throat and lungs flared up in fiery agony, as she was forced to let a great pool of blood rise from her mouth and on to the floor in front of her, before everything was silent and black.....

The last thing she heard was her name being called somewhere far off, lost to her in the distance between herself and it.

* * *

 

_Two young men walked along a road together, accompanied by the small figures of two cats at their sides- their shadows cast out behind them from the light of the dying sun. The orange glow of the setting Celestial figure painted the surrounding land in warm gold and deep russet, the eastern horizon fading to deep violet._

_"Where are we going, Sting-kun?" The red cat asked as he looked to the blonde man before him._

_"Fro wonders too." The other cat said with a raised paw, looking weary from the walking they had been doing all day._

_"We'll figure it out." Sting replied to the pale red Exceed, sounding unsure._

_"I hope soon." Rogue murmured lowly, walking along at Sting's shoulder with closed eyes. They had been traveling aimlessly for a long while now, with no destination in mind and no place to call home... They were lost, and alone._

_"Get down!" They stopped and turned toward the sudden voice, in the few fleeting moments they were spared, before a hand slammed into both Sting and Rogue's faces, promptly making them hit the ground with a smack._

_They saw flashes of tan skin and orange hair, and then they were flat on their backs on the ground with someone crouched between them._

_The whistle of some airborn projectile passing over their heads at an amazing speed reached their ears, though they couldn't see what it had been due to the hand on their faces._

_Lector and Frosch came to a startled halt, eyes wide as they looked to who was holding down the two Dragon Slayers. Their back was to the two Exceeds, but it was definitely a woman._

_She let her hands come off of the boy's faces as she got to her feet with a small grumble, facing the way in which she had jumped at them from, looking slightly miffed and not at all paying any attention to the two boys she had thrown into the ground without warning._

_"What the hell?!" Rogue and Sting snapped, sitting up in second as they glared at the back of the woman, both their faces bearing the red hand-print of the girl. "Who they hell do you think you are?!"_

_"Give me a minute boys." The woman answered, sparing a small glance over her shoulder at them so her deep blue gaze met their eyes. She looked to them calmly a single moment, before looking ahead again. "Don't know if you noticed, but I am a little busy."_

_They blinked, wondering what on earth she could be busy with... And why would that have given her the right to knock them to the ground?!_

_She shifted slightly, and the ground suddenly turned red, being stained by the scarlet drops of blood dripping from her lower arm- their eyes grew wide._

_"Are you alright?" They asked simultaneously, forgetting their annoyance. Lector and Frosch had moved off toward their Partners, looking to the woman with wide eyes._

_The woman smiled a little, closing her eyes and shaking her head- looking a little amused with their sudden concern, and not at all bothered by the wound. "It's just a scratch. Nothing I can't handle, don't worry." She smirked at the both of them, and they simply blinked._

_"Shit, you missed her dumbass!" Their eyes were torn from her toward a group of perhaps three dozen people in similar apparel all to eachother. Some of them held swords or other weapons, others were lit up with the light of each individual's Magic, basic ones ranging from what looked like shadow, water, light and fire Magic with a few odd ones like Regulus._

_The two people ahead of the others were glaring at one another, apparently they had been ones to yell at each other moments before, and probably the ones who had almost hit Rogue and Sting from behind. They blinked in absolute shock, not sure how they hadn't managed to at least hear so many people approaching them from behind... They must really be tired._

_The girl cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders a few times. "You can always just give up." She called to the group, those who the four behind her guessed were attacking her- based on her wound, and the heated scowls the party of men were giving her. "It would be a lot easier if you did." She murmured and the group seemed to falter a little._

_Rogue and Sting stared, was she crazy?! She was seriously planning to take on all those people on her own?!_

_"Forget it sweetheart." One of the men who had previously been arguing, growled. "The Master put a bounty on you, we intend to collect." They all nodded and readied._

_The girl smiled a little more and sighed, shrugging a little at the answer. "Ah well," she murmured. "I did try to give you a chance.."_

_Suddenly, she ran forward at such a speed that the two Dragon Slayers and Exceed's left behind them looked on with absolute shock, eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily. The hell?!_

_"You won't be collecting a bounty today!!"_

_Sting and Rogue jumped to their feet, thinking that this girl was insane after all. How was she supposed to take on all these people by herself? There were a lot more of them then there were her, and she had clearly already been injured while already fighting them._

_"Wait a damn minute!!" Sting yelled,_

_"What the hell are you doing?!" Rogue yelled as well._

_"Oh shut up boys!" She called back with an annoyed huff but glanced to them with a small smirk. "I've got this, don't you worry your pretty little heads!" They blinked, and she smirked some more. "I'll protect you!"_

_They both blushed furiously at the words. Their fists clenched in anger and they glared, starting forward in full force._

_"Protect us?! Like hell!!!" They yelled in furious unison as their Magic's blazed about their person in sudden irritation. They surpassed her easily in their newfound anger, though she purposely let up a little- perhaps out of surprise or maybe even out of amusement, her blue eyes gleaming and smirk never fading._

_"Get um!!" The group yelled at the oncoming duo, who bowled through the mass like they were nothing but leaves and twigs in their way. The woman stopped at the edge of the battle- however ready she had been to fight, that feeling was gone now as she stood, smirking in amusement at how well she had managed to anger them, and how fast they were to react. The two cats walked up to stand beside her, though she did nothing but glance their way once, before looking back to Rogue and Sting. The two of them needed only use their fists for this fight, it required little more than that and they didn't waste power and effort on doing anything too extravagant for such an easy fight._

_For a moment, she watched in quiet surprise, rather caught off-guard by how easily these two men were blowing through her enemies. When she had pushed them to the ground, she had taken them for simple travelers- travelers who hadn't enough skill to hear her or her pursuers coming. But in fact, they were Mages. They could use Magic, she hadn't been expecting it, but she wasn't enitirely shocked._

_But then all at once, two of the men pursuing the woman stood side by side and lift their hands together, aiming them toward the blonde and the dark-haired men who had jumped in. Those two had power radiating from them, clearly two of the stronger ones in the group, and they were both looking to hit Sting and Rogue at once- while_ _they_ _were busy tearing apart the rest of the men's comrades._

_A stream of light shot from the open palm of one man, and a stream of dark shadow shot from the other. Sting and Rogue turned to face the Magic calmly, not seemingly bothered with the amount of power those two attacks would punch if they got hit._

_The woman raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what in earth they must be thinking... She assumed they would dodge, but they made no move to do any such thing. Her head cocked a little, eyes narrowing and arms crossing over her chest- her full attention suddenly on them._

_The both of those two opened their mouths and the Magic sent their way channeled in narrow waves into the pits of their stomachs as they devoured the Magic whole, and even smiled at the taste in their mouths._

_They ate the Magic....._

_The woman's eyes widened and she sweatdropped, looking quite amazed for a moment, and surprised at the same moment._

_They were Slayers.... She hadn't believed there to be any left in the rest of the world.... At least, not any more she didn't already know about._

_"Thanks for the snack." Sting smirked, he and Rogue stepped up beside eachother as they leaned back, their cheeks puffing up as they sucked in air in perfect unison. It was as if they were talking to one another Telepathically.... How good they seemed to guess the other's plan._

_"White Dragon-"_   
_"Shadow Dragon-"_

_"Roar!!"_

_Two spinning tornados of raw power tore across the landscape toward the two offending men and all those behind them. They were lost in the thick of the converged white and black Magic spinning in on eachother, and lost to sight as they were pushed back for hundreds of yards into the trees._

_Lector and Frosch smiled at the easy victory of their Partners, there were no more men left standing after that landslide to keep fighting, and they were happy to see Sting and Rogue win so easily. Both glanced up to the woman, expecting to see her watching the spectacle in the utmost awe at how amazing their Partner's were-_

_She wasn't there!!_

_The woman had disappeared from their sides in an instant, and instead could be seen jumping over the heads of Sting and Rogue, her leg wrapped in the most peculiar golden... Flame?_

_And then they all noticed the dark figure that had slunk from the trees and lunged out toward Sting and Rogue without even the slightest sound, in fact they hadn't know the dark form was there at all._

_The woman's leg swung down upon the figure with so much force that a wave of air was pushed out around them, and the figure was launched straight into the ground just before the feet of Rogue and Sting, where there was now a crater with a man wrapped in black robes was lying completely immobilized by the one kick._

_The woman landed on the opposite side of the small crater from Sting and Rogue, the golden flame about her leg disappearing instantly as she stood with her back to them and her hands on her hips._

_Their jaws dropped, eyes whited out and completely caught-off guard by the development._

_First of all, when could she use Magic?!_

_"Not bad you two." She said to them suddenly, glancing over her shoulder with a smile. "You missed one though." She smirked, her eyes flicking to the man she had just downed. She turned to them and they finally got a full look at her,_

_She wore attire of black that consisted of a sleeveless shirt and long pants, both of which fit her figure nicely. They saw the beads in her oddly styled hair, the earrings in each ear, and the bands upon her fingers. Their eyes traced the scar that curled over her shoulder and ran down her arm to her wrist. But on the other arm, now already fading, looked to be some sort of odd black marking, but it was gone before they could make it out._

_"Odd though, Slayers are pretty rare now-a-days." She mused, tapping a finger to her chin and titling her head. "Dragon Slayers too...."_

_"Wha...?" All of them mumbled, their minds running slowly at what they were hearing and what they had seen._

_How strong is she...? Who is she....? What was going on...?_

_She blinked, then smiled at the four of them warmly, "Name's Horatia." She said suddenly, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can call me Hora or Atia if ya want to though." She tilted her head their way, "And you are...?" She murmured._

_"Sting..." The blonde mumbled, still trying to understand what had just happened._

_"Rogue..." The other said then gestured toward the cat in the costume ho had approached with the red one. "This is Frosch..."_

_"I'm Lector.." The red one mumbled, sweatdropping as the rest of them were. Horatia nodded and smiled,_

_"Nice to meet you all. And thanks for taking care of those guys, even though they were a bit easy for you." She smirked at Sting and Rogue, and they sweatdropped a little, looking slightly flustered at the comment._

_She suddenly cleared the small crater separating them, landing lightly in front of the four, her eyes narrowing as she peered up at both Sting and Rogue, blue gaze glinting in the light of the dying sun behind them, her head tilted a little._

_"1st or 2nd Generation?" She asked suddenly, catching both men suddenly off guard at the unexpected question. They blinked,_

_"What?" Sting asked slowly, she smiled slightly, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest, hip cocking._

_"You're Dragon Slayers. So are you 1st Generation, or 2nd?" She asked again,_

_".... 3rd." Rogue replied lowly, eyes narrowed at her and looking a little confused-wondering why she was asking at all. Horatia's eyes widened slightly, a look of understanding crossing over her face, before she nodded and smiled._

_"Ah, alright then. Good to know." She smirked,_

_"You know what a 3rd Generation Dragon Slayer is?" Sting stammered out, hardly believing it. He exchanged an incredulous look with Rogue, they had always though they were the only ones..._

_Horatia nodded, "You two aren't the first 3rd Generation Dragon Slayers." She pointed out in a matter of fact tone. "There have been some before, it's just rare.... For obvious reasons." Her time dropped, as she noticed the both of them men's gazes suddenly drop, and the sweatdropped, looking slightly ashamed... Or maybe haunted. A small flash of sympathy flashed across her features for a moment, before Rogue settled his red gaze on her and it was gone._

_"You seem to know a lot about Dragon Slayers." He pointed out, and she nodded slightly. "Are you...?"_

_She paused a moment, her blue gaze settled on him steadily for a moment or two, before her eyes closed and she let out a silent sigh. "That'd be cool, but no." She smiled slightly, and Rogue's eyes narrowed at the near.... Ruefulness of the smile itself. She opened her eyes again and smiled brightly, "What are you four doing out here anyway?" She asked, deliberately changing the subject- something both Sting and Rogue noticed easily._

_"We're just traveling." Sting replied,_

_"Anywhere in particular?" She pressed, not nosey, just interested._

_"Not really." Rogue sighed, earning a huff and a small heated stare from Sting a moment. "We're just... Walking." Horatia blinked,_

_"What about you?" Lector cut in, earning the girl's eyes._

_"Yeah, why were you out here and with those guys anyway?" Sting asked, motioning toward the men that were lying about, unconscious or groaning. Horatia smiled slightly,_

_"I'm on a job." She replied, catching them completely off guard. She pushed past the four of them, her eyes falling closed as she shrugged slightly. "Which you just finished for me.... I suppose I oughta give you a good cut of the pay in that case."_

_They turned after her, eyes wide and sweatdropping a little, completely taken by surprise. A job? That would have to mean-_

_"You're a Wizard?!" Sting said quickly, as she moved over toward a nearby fallen tree stump, sending him an a odd look._

_"Yes, though you already saw that, didn't you?" She replied lightly, her eyes flicking toward the man at the bottom of the crater she had thrown him into. He shook his head,_

_"That's_ _not_ _what I meant.." He replied quickly,_

_"You're a Member of a Wizards Guild?" Rogue asked for his blonde compatriot, the sheer surprise in their eyes was clear, though she wasn't sure why they were so surprised at all. Maybe it was first appearances? She had managed to shock them with her small little display of Magic earlier she recalled._

_But her amusement suddenly deflated at Rogue's question, her eyes moving away from them and seemingly a little tense... And maybe even unhappy. Rogue noticed the change in attitude, and so did Sting- but they didn't question it._

_She crossed a leg over the other and reached around into the tied sack bag on her back, pulling it into their lap as she rummaged inside of it, looking for some thing._

_"... Yes." She replied after a moment to his question, her eyes fixed on the inside of the bag and not on them. "I am a Member of a Guild." She pulled out a roll of bandages, setting her bag down and teeth clamping down in the end- beginning to wrap the cut across her forearm._

_Rogue blinked, nearly having forgotten she had been injured- he would have moved forward to give her a hand with wrapping the bandages so she didn't need to use her teeth, but stopped himself. He didn't really know her, and wasn't sure if she would appreciate his help at all._

_Sting beside him was looking ecstatic, as he should- that had been his hope, to find a Wizards Guild and join up. But maybe not just any Wizards Guild, one that was strong and powerful, and had people like.. Well, Horatia. Strong Wizards, which she clearly was- considering the crater she managed with a single kick._

_What sort of Magic was that anyway?_

_"Really?" He asked, smiling a little. "Which one? Is it a big one? Popular? Are there lots of other Mages?"_

_".... We've been thinking of joining a Wizards Guild." Rogue out in, Horatia stiffened slightly, sweatdropping when she felt she knew where this conversation was going, her heart dropped a little, despite herself._

_.... She couldn't honestly say she wanted them to join her Guild, if that was their plan. It wasn't out of selfishness, or dislike for them...._

_"SaberTooth." She replied softly, mumbling around the bandages in her teeth as she pulled them tight, wincing a little at the pain as she tied them off. She still didn't look their way, her eyes falling to the ground._

_"SaberTooth?!" Was the collective shocked gasp._

_"That's one of the strongest_ _Guilds_ _out there!" Sting nearly beamed, looking excited. "Only the top Mages get into that Guild!"_

_"That's one way to put it." Horatia murmured, letting out a small sigh as she replaced the unused bandages in her bag._

_"You're a member though. Which means you must be a serious Mage yourself." Rogue pointed out. She blinked, smiling just a little._

_".... Well, I do have my talents." She murmured, "But clearly so do the both of you." Rogue and Sting blinked at the words._

_"Does that mean you think we'd be let in if we decided to join?" Sting smirked, Horatia glanced toward him, sweatdropping slightly._

_".... I'm not sure its a good idea." She replied slowly._

_"Why not?"_

_"My Master is........ Strict." She mumbled,_

_"He can't be all that bad." Sting replied, his hands falling on his hips._

_"There are rules." She murmured,_

_"Then we'll follow them." Sting replied again, his eyes firm and countenance.... Determined._

_Why is he so determined?_

_She paused a moment, eyes narrowing as she sweatdropped. She didn't know how to explain it to them.... Nobody really understood what SaberTooth was, what its Master was.... Nobody knew, until it was too late._

_Her fingers gripped her injured arm tightly as her eyes fell closed, she had the feeling.... She could warn them against it, but it wouldn't matter. The look on Sting's face told her he was set on the idea.... Which in itself made little sense._

_Sure, they may have been looking to join a Guild... It made sense, if they had no place to go and nothing to do with their lives. Their little show was quaint, but it wasn't their full potential, she could feel power bubbling inside of them. She knew in her heart that they were powerful, as all Slayers were..... But it needn't be SaberTooth. They could probably get into any other Guild, so why did he seem so set on hers?_

_She couldn't in good conscience let them join SaberTooth. In good conscience, she couldn't let anyone suffer what she was forced to.... Especially not young, good people with their whole lives ahead of them._

_"..... Listen. SaberTooth isn't all its cracked up to be, you don't understand how..... Strict and even ruthless my Master is. There are rules he forces members of the Guild to follow, consequences if you don't live up to what he wants from you and the Guild. He cares about the Guilds Image, about it staying.... The best and most powerful." She said lowly, her eyes glinting as she willed them to heed her warning. She couldn't explain to them really, words couldn't describe it at all......_

_They all blinked at her, eyes narrowing in confusion at the sudden apprehension they could see on her face. They weren't sure what she seemed so hesitant.... Because how could it be that bad? SaberTooth had a reputation, sure... But it was a Guild, and no Guild could be purely awful._

_".... It can't be that bad." Sting said at length, giving her a reassuring smile. "We can handle ourselves."_

_"Besides, you're a Member. And certainly if someone as seemingly strong, and even friendly as you can make it inside of SaberTooth, it can't be awful there." Rogue put it. "If it was, wouldn't you leave?"_

_She stiffened, though they didn't see that._

_Wouldn't you leave?_

_I..... I can't._

_But she couldn't explain that either. She wasn't even hardly a person, she wasn't free, she was owned... A slave. She couldn't leave SaberTooth, the Master owned her... She was trapped._

_She would leave, if she could. But she couldn't, she was stuck there and she would be for the rest of her days.... She just didn't want them stuck too._

_But what was she supposed to do? She had the feeling they would go ahead and join anyway- and yes, Master would take them in a heartbeat. Any chance to add more powerful Wizards to his fold, he would leap at the chance._

_If Sting and Rogue were to come to SaberTooth, Master would snatch them up... And never let them go. He doesn't let anyone leave on their own._

_She smiled slightly, eyes glinting. It was a sad, uncertain smile.... Seeing the determination in their eyes. The longing even.... She got the feeling they had been wandering nearly aimlessly for a long while now. They hadn't a place to go and now suddenly... Unfortunately... She had given them a chance to_ _fit_ _in somewhere, without meaning to. To them, her appearance was a chance to involve themselves in something big, something great.... SaberTooth was renowned. It was powerful, famous even... Any Wizard out there aspired to be a part of such a legend, as the SaberTooth Guild._

_Its up to me.... To make sure they don't get sucked in._

_They were going to come with her no matter what she said.... So maybe, she had to make sure they just didn't.... Get hurt. Make sure that she did her best to make sure they were kept as safe as she could manage... If she couldn't keep them away, she could try to keep them from getting too hurt._

_They thought this was their chance... And it might be. But it was also a mistake and she knew it._

_".... Travel with me a few days then." She said at length, "Show me what you've got up your sleeves. We can get to know each other a little more, and_ _test_ _out your skills." She smirked slightly. "Make sure you've got what it takes to be SaberTooth Wizards, hmm?"_

_They smiled at the words, finding it as a sort of challenge, feeling excitement well inside of them. Immersed in a new sense of adventure and even an inkling sense of... Hope, they failed to notice the fearful look in her dark blue eyes, and the clear apprehension to the idea in her gaze. They didn't see the look of worry and fear on her face as the grinned at her, following along behind her as she lead the way forward toward the north, they didn't see the haunted look on her face as she looked ahead, the clear unhappiness._

_They just.. Wanted somewhere to go, to call home, to belong..._ _..._

_........_

_..... I should have stopped them. Done anything I needed to make sure they never came to SaberTooth.... I should have kept them away.... Instead I let them join... I lead them into this... Nightmare._

_It had happened so fast, one minute they were strangers, the next... In those few days heading back toward the Guild, something changed. They grew closer, they became friends... True friends._

_She cared for them, wanted them safe...... She loved them, without knowing she could ever love anyone like she loved those four. They were her family, she never thought family would be a part of her life again._

_Now... Now she wished they weren't with her. She wished they would leave SaberTooth, get away from the pain and the brutality..... Even if that meant leaving her. Even if it meant she'd suffer for their freedom._

_She didn't want to lose them, but them being free and away from the Guild- even if that meant she was left alone- it was better than watching them get hurt, watching them suffer and be afraid._

_I should have...... Made them stay away....._

_I should.... Have kept them away.... From me... From the Guild... From Jiemma......... Now they won't ever be let go. They're never gonna be free....._

_.... Its my fault. I'm trapped... And now they're trapped with me.... Damn it......_

* * *

 

The room remained in deep shadow, the air stagnant and silent apart from shallow, ragged breaths and the occasional rattling, wet cough that shook the air and shattered the quiet.

Frosch let out a small, concerned mew as the small Exceed curled himself up next to Horatia's figure, her chest rising and falling rapidly in her pained, feverish breaths, body tensing at the pain and the torrent of the sickness coursing trough her body in reaction to the violent brutality she endured....

She was laid out in the bed, the sheets and comforter pulled up to her chest, fidgeting just a little, breathing frantically and shallowly. Her person was wrapped in bandages, skin bruised and cut where it was visible- broken and fractured bones, a damp cloth rest in her forehead, her hair falling about her face and shoulders in loose strands, her accessories stripped and placed on the table beside the low bed, beside a bowl of water and a few more cloths.

Rogue remained motionless from where he sat in the small raised platform of the floor to the bed, his head resting in his folded arms across the edge of the top of the bed, eyes closed and breathing deeply as he slept on.

The room was quaint, with a large empty space across the floor, another bed beside the one Hora was in, raised on a separate platform. The windows were shut by curtains, a small kitchenette set in the corner and a sofa and a coffee table set in the center of the room, surrounded by various pillows and the like around it- settled in a small dip in the floor.

On the other end of the room sat a pair of desks and dressers, with various items thrown about the room- it was messier in the corner surrounding the second bed, where around the room sat clothes and papers. It was neater near where the three were in the dim, a clear sign however the bed owned to, was a bit neater and more well kept than whoever owned the other empty one.

As made sense, Horatia had been given Rogue's bed to lay in, while Sting's lay untouched- this was the Twin Dragons apartment. Sting had never been the neatest person on the planet, while Rogue was considerably neat- the opposite of his blond compatriot.

Rogue's eyes fluttered open as the air shook with a serious of harsh, painful coughs from Horatia, his red eyes glinting in worry and exhaustion. He let out a weary sigh as he shuffled forward, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder as her body heaved with the coughing until she quieted down, gasping for air and wincing harshly. Rogue sweatdropped, feeling the insane heat radiating from her skin like a furnace, before his heart dropped feeling her skin grow suddenly icy cold to the touch... Deathly cold.

And then her skin burned fiery hot again, her fever was insanely high... And her temperature kept fluxing between insane heat, to deathly cold.... It was unnatural, it was impossible... And it scared the hell out of him.

What was he supposed to do.....?

They'd all known she had been hurt severely, beaten and broken beyond comprehension.... But the sudden sickness, they hadn't been prepared for that, and they, he.... He had no idea how to help her.

There remained a cold, hard lump in the pits of his stomach.... A sickening sense of worry inside of him that wasn't going to go away, and with each passing hour that Hora wasn't getting better, but seemed to be getting worse- that sickening worry in his heart only continued to grow worse.

He gently lift the damp rag off her forehead, replacing it with a different, much more cool one- hearing her let out small sigh at the feeling, before breaking off in a wince.

Frosch was curled up on her other side, head resting against her hand gently, the small Exceed's features pulled into a worried frown even in sleep- Frosch's paw settled lightly on her hand, tail twitching softly.

Rogue leaned against the bedside again, one arm resting atop the sheet and the other falling into his lap, red eyes seeming to glow in the darkness as he simply gazed at Hora for a long time. His eyes slowly moved toward the small slot between the curtains covering the window over the bed, seeing their hometown bathed in silvery moonlight as silence and sleep fell over everyone and everything in it..... It was nearly peaceful.

And then he felt that cold sickening sense of worry again and cringed a little, his eyes closing as his fingers gripped the bed sheets tightly, jaw clenching.

_... What am I supposed to do...?_

He had never seen Hora in such a state as this before. In all the years they had been friends, all the missions and the battles they fought in.... She'd never been this hurt before, and certainly never so sick. Hora was strong... Stronger than he and Sting in all honesty, and to see her like this... All at the hands of the _Master_... It put into perspective just how sheerly brutal Jiemma had been to her. Rogue knew very well that Horatia was strong... Strong enough to stand against both Master and Minerva at once, and yet she didn't ever do it. She always just took the punishments, she didn't stand up against it.... And he didn't understand _why_.

He had noticed it over the years, that Horatia seemed to be hiding some things.... She seemed to be hiding the real reason she didn't fight back. She wasn't afraid, he knew that..... It was something else.

_But what?_

He never could figure it out, and prompting her on the subject had never given him any answers.

He and Sting, they knew they needed to do something to stop the brutality and abuse of the Master. They knew that now more than ever... But what could they do against someone as Powerful as the Master? And then his daughter? They weren't strong enough....

..... It had to end. Things had gone too far, they needed to find a way to stop all of this from happening again. Enough was enough.

His mind had begun to give way to darkness, exhaustion and the strain of worrying so much catching up with him again, sleeplessness pulling at his senses and dragging him further down. His eyes fell closed against his will, the small sliver of moonlight seeping into the room lost to the dark void beginning to claim him.

... They'd do something about this.... But first... First they needed Hora to be alright. Neither he nor Sting, nor Frosch or Lector could imagine losing her.... They couldn't imagine being without her, without her smile and her encouragement, her silent guarding presence over them- the way she could keep them in line, and the way she brought out their true selves.... Where their true selves had begun to be lost to the act and the role they had to play for Master and his laws.

".....Please.... Just get better, ok...?" He sighed, his words too low for anyone to hear, if there was even anyone listening.

Black pulled at his mind and the room and Hora's strained, feverish breathing was lost on his ears.

* * *

 

"R...... Ro.... rogu...e...."

He shifted slightly, the waves of black still clinging desperately to his mind, trying to keep him still, keep him from moving toward his senses.

".... R... Rogue...."

His eyes scrunched closed harder, his face brushing against the sheets as he shook his head a little in attempt to brush off his exhaustion, trying very hard to place here the voice was coming from... It seemed.... Weak... Pained.....

_.... Familiar._

His eyes snapped open, head lifting from the top of the bed as he scrambled, eyes wide and glinting in the dark around them, seeing the dim, feverish gleam of Horatia's dark blue gaze fixed on him.

Her breaths still came in harsh gasps, having a hard time getting in enough air, the pain and the exhaustion in her gaze was unmistakable, and he felt his heart clench, just as it began to race.

"Hora...!" He breathed, quickly moving forward and sitting up straighter, on his knees as his hand landed gently on her shoulder in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture, he flinched at the sheer fire that seemed to radiate from her skin. Her eyelids dropped a little in sheer exhaustion, her blue gaze glinting slightly as she settled her sights on him. She must have seen the panic spread on his face, because she seemed to frown a little- before her eyes shut tight in pain and her jaw clenched, letting out a harsh wince- in the same instant he felt her skin lose all heat and turn deathly cold.

"..... Yo...u...... Where..... Is.... Sting... And Lector.....?" She managed to breath, the pain subsiding enough for her to make out the words. He blinked, his red eyes still gleaming in utmost worry and slight panic- but now in slight surprise at the sudden question. ".... You... Guys... You..." Her eyes opened halfway, locking to him almost uneasily.... She seemed.... Worried.

".... Master.... Minerva.... They didn't..... punish you..... For hel.... Helping me.... Did they....?"

Rogue's eyes widened, seeing the pure fear in her feverish gaze in that instant- the dread at that thought of himself, Frosch, Sting and Lector having been punished for helping her- as had been forbidden.

He felt a tug in his chest, a little shocked, and a little angry.... How could she be worried about that, of all things- when she was in this state? He would have told her she should worry more about her safety than anything, because he was unhappy she seemed to put them before herself on so many occasions, but he stopped himself.

That was sheer terror in her eyes at the thought, pure concern.... She was truly concerned about it, and right now, with as hurt and sick as she was.... He couldn't bring himself to scold her and her thoughts.

He let out a small sigh, his heart lurching uncomfortably when her skin burned fiery hot again- he slowly withdrew his hand, eyes falling a moment.

"No." He replied softly. "We weren't punished, Sting and Lector are out on a Mission with Rufus and Orga- under the guise I went with them, as not to draw attention, and keep it hidden we are helping you. I stayed to look after you, and Yukino helped to treat your wounds when we first brought you here." His eyes opened to see the sheer relief pass across her glassy gaze, her eyes closing again as she let out small sigh, only to end in a fit of ragged coughing.

"Easy, Atia.... Easy...." He sighed, eyes glittering in the dim, her coughing slowing to halt, leaving her gasping in short, harsh, irregular breaths.

"..... How..... L.... Long... Have.... I....?" She breathed, swallowing hard against the metallic tang of blood rising up her throat,

"Almost a week...." He replied slowly, his voice low enough not to arouse Frosch. Her eyes moved away from him toward the roof overhead, unfocused and nearly distant.

"... Damn.... It...." Her words were barely audible. Rogue opened his mouth to question why it was her temperature seemed to fluctuate so immensely, not that he was sure she would have a clue.. But she stopped him.

".... Rogue. You, Frosch.... Sting and Lector.... You have to leave.." She said suddenly, her voice mush stronger suddenly, eyes falling again.

Rogue stiffened, eyes widening and blinking a few times at the sudden words, at the suggestion.... _Leave?_

".... You guys..... You need to leave the Guild... Get far away, get away from the.... Master... From Minerva.... You have to leave SaberTooth, and this city... All behind...." Her blue gaze suddenly moved to him, the feverish haze seeming to fade for a small moment, her eyes clear and intense.

" _Leave SaberTooth._ Get far away, you can't stay here anymore... I should have never let you join. That was my fault, everything that happened from then on.... That is my fault. And now I need you to just leave...... Leave it all behind and escape Master and his brutality."

The firmness of her words and the way she said it caught him off guard, eyes wide and simply staring for a long while. It had never occurred to either him nor Sting to simply leave the Guild.... In all reality they felt they couldn't. And it certainly never occurred to either of them that Horatia would want them to run. She wasn't like that... She didn't run from anything.

And the fact she thought it was her fault.... That wasn't true.

".... Atia... None of this is your doing." He replied softly, and she shook her head a little.

"..... But it is..... I should have tried harder to keep you away from the Guild... I didn't."

"We wanted to join." He said firmly, "You couldn't have stopped us, we would have went ahead and joined even if you had told us not to- so don't think its your fault." He nearly growled the words, a little miffed he could think any such thing.

She didn't look convinced.

"... You have to go." She whispered, blue eyes glittering as the feverish film over her gaze returned again.

"We can't just leave the Guild, Atia..." He replied seriously. "What about everyone else? Yukino, Rufus, Orga?" They couldn't just run away and leave all their friends behind, especially not to suffer Master's brutality all alone. Her eyes seemed to grow a little sad, and deep in them he could see her fear returning. It was a rare thing to see her truly afraid.... That just went to show how serious things were, but they couldn't just run!

"What about you?" He said next, seeing a deeper sadness and utter regret and wash of pain appear in her gaze that made his heart skip a beat. It was such deep and true sadness that seemed to fill her entire being in that moment, a sudden chill fell over him.

"..... You have to leave me."

He hardly believed he heard those words come past her lips, he never thought he'd hear her say something in such a heartbreaking, defeated voice... All the fire he knew that burned inside of her was just..... _gone._ She was broken, shattered.... She had given up.

" _Never!"_ He snapped lowly, his eyes burning in sudden anger and a sternness, his tone cold and scathing, Horatia flinched a little, her eyes falling closed. He felt anger rise inside of him, he couldn't believe she had suggested it at all! He couldn't believe... Believe she had given up!

"There is no way in hell we would _ever_ even _think_ about leaving you behind! Are you crazy?! Have you really given up after all this time?!" He had a hard time keeping his voice to a whisper. "You can't seriously believe we would ever do that! We can't just leave you!"

"You have to!" She growled, sounding pained, her eyes still closed. She wouldn't meet his furious red stare. "You four need to get out of SaberTooth, you have to leave it!"

"We can't run, and even if we did- we wouldn't leave you behind. If you want us to leave, you have to come with us." He replied, his tone steely. Her jaw clenched, whether it was in pain or frustration he couldn't tell, "If we go anywhere, you go with us- there is no way around it. You have to come with us."

"I _can't!"_

Her eyes snapped open to land on him, glittering and watering- filled with more profound sadness and regret than he had ever seen all in one person, and never in her. He stiffened, his heart dropping to his stomach and all anger suddenly destroyed to see the tears pricking at the corners of her blue eyes.... She.... She was on the verge of _tears...._

"A-Atia..." He stammered, heart dropping at the sight. He'd never once seen her cry, and certainly he'd never seen her even come close to doing so.... He didn't know how to react to it, in her there was so much pain and regret, and sadness and utter despair it made his heart ache... It made his heart ache in a sudden unbearable pain to see those tears in her eyes now, and he could only stare.

"I can't..... You have to leave.... Please...." Her eyes glittered in the most unbearable pain, he felt his heart breaking. "... I don't want... To see any of you get hurt... I can't bear to watch you guys suffer... Or be in pain... I want you happy..... And you can't be happy in this Guild.... You have to go.... And you have to leave me behind.... Please....." The tears spilled over, small glittering trails falling down her cut and bruised cheeks softly,

How... Had he never seen this much pain... And sadness... In her....?

"... What do you mean.... You can't...?" He manage to stammer, her eyes closed again.

"... I just... I can't..."

"Hora." He murmured softly, shaking off some of his shock and the sudden tearing he felt in his heart at seeing her like this, he pushed it all away a moment. "Please.... I want to understand..... Why do you believe that you can't leave?" She didn't reply, and he let out a small _Tch_ , his eyes narrowing a little as he softly lay his hand on her arm. ".... You've been hiding something all these years, something deep and dark.. And clearly painful.... We're friends, we are Family.... Please just talk to me."

She shook her head a little, ".... Rogue.... I can't tell you... I'm sorry.... I just... Ca-" her words came in a tired whisper, shaky and faint- as she suddenly stiffened, her body lurching in a painful spasm. Her entire body went rigid in an unbearable wave of agony that swept through her being, making her cry out at the pain- only to be cut off as she rolled over slightly, body convulsing as she was forced to cough up a few small pools of sticky blood onto the bed beside her, the crimson liquid streaming from the edges of her lips continually. She clapped a hand over her mouth, breaking into a fit of coughing- her hand soon stained crimson and running with it, unable to take in air.

Rogue was on his feet in an instant, eyes wide and panic spread across his features, "Hora!" He gasped, his hands falling onto her back and shoulder as she rolled over, feeling her broken body shake with her coughing under his touch.

Frosch was jostled awake, springing up and eyes wide in terror and fear- seeing Horatia immediately and eyes pricking with tears at the blood dripping through her fingers.

Rogue went rigid, his heart racing and leaping as he felt her body shake violently under his touch with her coughing, no small amount of fear rushing through him at the amount of blood she was coughing up. Coughing up blood was never a good thing, and certainly not a lot of it.

Had there been some sort of serious internal damage inflicted on her they hadn't been aware of?! If there was, he didn't know what to do about it- he wasn't a healer, and as they had already known- no doctor in this city would help them. They were all too afraid of Master Jiemma.

_Shit! What am I supposed to do?!_

Her temperature was changing in seconds between hot and cold, too unnatural, and all of it scaring him more and more. He had no idea what was going on, or what had made her this sick in the first place. Certainly even the beating she had sustained shouldn't have gotten her this sick, so unnaturally sick... He was so out of his depth, and so helpless.

"A-Atia....!" Frosch stammered frantically, sprouting wings and floating above the bed, trembling from head to tail.

Her coughing slowed a little, finally allowing her to gasp in a few ragged breaths of air- but the flow of blood from her mouth didn't cease, and gave no indication of doing so. Her hands fell away from covering her mouth, the crimson liquid shinning from the sliver of moonlight filtering through the window, her body heaving and shaking, too weak to move and hardly able to breath, tense and rigid in pain and sickness.

Rogue leaned down a little, quickly using one of the wet rags to try and wipe away what blood he could, before pressing another cloth against her forehead- her temperature was off the charts now, and she was unresponsive... He wasn't even sure if she was conscious any more.

"This isn't right....!" He hissed frantically. "I don't understand, this sickness..... The fever... Its all so unnatural...." He bit his lip a little, "... What the hell is going on...? I.... Don't know what to... Do..." His voice dropped to near nothing,

At this rate.... Could she really...

_.... Die....?_

His gaze snapped sideways, suddenly hearing a small hissing sound- eyes widening as he saw the bowl full of water on the nightstand suddenly steaming, the water evaporating quickly as Horatia's temperature fell to a deathly cold.... And then burned like lava, heat radiating around her and into the room in powerful drafts.

She coughed again, her eyes fluttering open as his attention snapped toward her, seeing her gaze unfocused and groggy. "R.... Rogue..."

"Hora... What is going on...?" He questioned lowly, but quickly. Her eyes were falling fast,

"... Its..... Over-Drive...." She breathed, her eyes falling shut and voice fading away to nothing but a small airy breath,

Her breathing stopped all together.


	3. Help.... Least Expected

**Chapter 3**   
**Help** **...** **Least** **Expected**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and** **Ideas**

**.:+:**.

The figures of Sting, Rogue and Horatia walked into the Guild Hall, eyes narrowed and steely as they strode through the center of the hall toward the Job Board, followed closely by Frosch and Lector who looked slightly tense.

Horatia walked calmly, a little slowly- her person wrapped in bandages, but now in her usual mission attire- all sense of weakness and pain wiped from her face, her deep blue gaze steely and firm as she lead the two Dragon Slayers in.

The eyes of the Guild Members followed her as she cut straight toward her destination, all eyes wide and astounded- seeing her up and moving, and seemingly so undisturbed by her injuries... The horrific injuries they had seen her endure under the Master's wrath.

"Is that Horatia....?"

"Woah... She looks pretty good, considering...."

"They're headed toward the Request Board...."

"... She seriously gonna take a job, looking like that?"

"Think the Master's gonna let them go? Being this close to the GMG?"

"Masters been busy... He hasn't even been looking at the Requests taken...."

"But still... Sting and Rogue are on the team, right? And there's only a few months before the Games...."

Sting and Rogue sweatdropped slightly, hearing the murmurings go out around the hall- while Hora seemed hardly perturbed by it, her eyes fixed to the Board as they stopped in front of it.

Of course it was a shock to see Hora moving around only a week after having taken such a brutal punishment by the Master, and it was even more shocking to see her about to take a Job. Last they had seen her, she had been carried out by Rogue unconscious- and that was against Master's orders, though no one was surprised the two Dragon Slayers had gone against it.

Seeing her up and walking around, looking so strong and calm... It was a shock, and yet they were mostly relieved.

Now they focused on the other point- on Sting and Rogue, who, everyone in the Guild knew, were on the Team that participated in the Grand Magic Games, of which were only three months away now. They found it odd they would be going off on a Job so close to the Games... As they usually spent a large amount of time training with the other Members of the Team. To be going with Horatia, who wasn't on the team at all... They were surprised, and a little worried what the Master would think.

But, as it stood- the day Master inflicted his punishment in Hora, he had also sent Minerva out on a very important mission- which, as they heard it, was supposed to last months. With Saber's Lady out of the picture, and Master being so wrapped up in his own business... SaberTooth's Master hadn't been at all present the last few days. Yes of course he'd come out to send out some grand speech or other, other times to reprimand and correct as he saw fit... But he hadn't been paying as close attention to the Guild as he usually would. So maybe, Rogue, Sting and Horatia's action to take a Job would go without being scrutinized.

At least... That was certainly what they were hoping for.

The taking of Job Requests was usually overseen by the Master, most of the Guild's Members were assigned jobs by him personally- but those Mages of higher standing, to which Rogue and Sting belonged to, they were usually able to pick the jobs they'd like, and get approval by the Master. Sometimes they just went out without approval at all, and heard nothing from the Master in return to their actions. With the Master being as busy as he seemed at the moment, they were counting on their status in the Guild to perhaps allow them to slip under the Master's nose and approval, as well as manage a way to take a job with Hora- who at the moment was clearly not on the Master's good side. But they needed a break, a break away from the Guild and the city... And the Master.

And they were not afraid to try.

Sting picked a paper from the Board without a word, but glanced between himself and Rogue and Hora, before silently moving toward the table beside the Board and placing a stamp on the paper- jotting down in the Request book who would be taking the job itself. It was a simple job- the destruction of a small Dark Guild- but it was far away and would to a plenty of time to travel to, and them complete.

"We'll be back in a week or two," Sting announced confidently, smirking slightly. He raised his voice and looked to the balcony overhead, hoping Master would hear the words and counting on the fact the man wouldn't appear. "By then, we'll be ready to begin training for the Games." He waited a small moment, listening intently for any sign Master Jiemma would protest to the plan.

Sting's gaze flicked to Rogue, who's expression remained neutral- though his eyes were tired and slightly worried. Hora's eyes gleamed a moment in sudden tenseness as they waited a moment longer for anything, and then they all visibly relaxed- just a little.

Without a word the five of them moved back toward the doors, and out of sight- all them silent, rigid, and maybe even a little tense. The Guild watched them leave, most of them wide-eyed, some of them quiet and others talking amongst themselves.

Yukino watched the small congregation leave the hall, eyes glinting in concern and hands folded and held to her chest- a sinking feeling in her stomach that wouldn't go away.

It should have been Saber's Twin Dragon's and the ever powerful Horatia- a common team as they were- going on a job, like any normal day.

If it only it were that way...

* * *

 

 _Her breathing ceased altogether_ , her chest stilled and her harsh gasping and shallow breaths fell silent- no air swirling into her lungs any longer. She was still, deathly still.....

Rogue's heart stopped in that same instant, time slowing down yet swirling past at unbelievable speed- seeing and hearing her breathing fade to utter silence, hearing his own heart thumping in his ears in a wave of sheer and utter terror.

Frosch near him nearly dropped from air- eyes wide and streaming in tears, stammering in fragmented bits. "A-wait... No.. N.. No.... A-Atia.... A.. She...."

"Hora!!" Her name made it passed his lips in utter terror, sweatdropping heavily as his mind raced in inconceivable fragments.

She wasn't breathing, she's not breathing... She's dying... She... She's....!!!

Time caught up with him as his body began to move, forcing himself to try and stay as calm as he possibly could- though he was beginning to tremble slightly. He realized in a few short moments, that he couldn't hear her breathing- but he could hear a heartbeat, and it wasn't just the thundering of his own beating frantically in his chest.

"Frosch- go fill the bath!" He ordered quickly, meeting the terrified gaze of the Exceed for a moment, before Frosch nodded in slight determination and sped off toward the bathroom, the sound of water running came on a moment later.

Rogue quickly scooped Hora up in his arms bridal style, his heart sinking and a lump forming in his throat at how limp she was in his arms, she was simply dead weight... Her body still fiery hot to the touch, waves of unnatural heat rolling off of her.

The bowl beside the bed was empty, the water having evaporated already.

Her temperature seemed to have stopped fluxing from hot to cold... Now she was just burning up, her fever too high, way too high and very, very unnatural- even for her, she was too hot, she needed to cool down.

Without a moments hesitation, or a second thought- he pushed his way into the bathroom and toward the tub, where Frosch was settled on the floor near it, shaking and quaking in fear.

He stepped into the tub and the (unpleasantly) cold water, not particularly concerned with getting himself nor his clothes wet- all his attention was focused on Hora.

He settled down, laying Hora down into the water and wrapping his arms around her chest as she leaned back against him, letting them both sink into the water until it reached her chest, her head lying limply against his chest as the water drenched them instantly.

Frosch jumped up, a cup of water in paw as he floated over them- the water dropping over the edge of the cup at the Exceed's paws trembling so much, Rogue nodded, eyes glinting.

Frosch gently poured the water over her head, her multicolored strands of hair running with the moisture and dripping, the Exceed gently brushed her hair from her face, eyes glinting in fear.

Rogue gently ran his hand under her chin, holding her cheek in his hand- feeling her skin still fiery to the touch, despite the water, red eyes glinting in terror as he listened for signs of breath.

Silence

His heart dropped, "Hora... Come on!" He snapped lowly, voice shaking ever so slightly. His grip about her tightened slightly,

_This isn't happening...._

"You can't die damn it...!" He hissed under his breath,

The silence stretched into what seemed like forever, her body like a fire against his body despite the cold of the water engulfing them, there was a small dripping sound as spare droplets of blood continued to fall from her mouth and into the water- staining the liquid pink a moment before it faded.

_She's always hot... That's what her Magic does... But this... Its like she just... Started burning out...._

His eyes shot open when her body shook in his arms, as she let out a small, weak cough and her chest started heaving as she struggled for proper air, the air in front of her hazing in a cloud... Steam. The surface of the water was steaming a little too- her Magic was getting out of hand... It was staring to seep into the air and the water, making it slowly evaporate.

He felt himself relax a little, his body having been tight and rigid with the terror sweeping through him at the prospect of losing her. He gently rest his chin on top of her head, eyes closing a moment in weariness, a great wash of relief running through him at feeling her body move with her, albeit strained, breathing. Feeling life, movement....

...... Things were much worse than he realized... He had nearly lost her..... And she was still in danger.

He heard Frosch let out a sigh of relief too, his red eyes opening to see his Exceed Parter slumped on the bath side, small tears still pricking at the corner of the Exceed's eyes.

"Frosch, I need you to go find an Ice Lacrima, if you can. There should be one in the kitchen.... Hora's fever is too high, and with her Magic, it isn't making it any better. We need to keep her as cool as possible, ok?" Rogue murmured softly, earning his Partner's eyes. He understood how delicate Frosch was, and hated that the small creature was seeing Horatia like this... But he was alone and wasn't about to take her out of the water lest she give him another scare again.

Frosch nodded, standing up and lifting a paw. "Fro will be right back!" The Exceed replied, hopping from the side of the bath and leaving the bathroom. Rogue's eyes left the space in which his Partner was lost from sight, toward Hora- the faint wisps of steam slowly rising from the water's surface, already the water wasn't even cool anymore, it was growing warmer.

His eyes narrowed, letting himself relax a little by concentrating on the sound of her breathing. His mind flashed to what she said before her breathing stopped altogether, when he had asked what was going on.

"... Over-Drive...?" He mumbled, his eyes falling to her face and features as she lay against him in his arms, gasping and too weak to move, not even awake, her expression strained and one of slight pain and discomfort.

What on earth could that even be? He'd never heard it before, and she had never mentioned it..... For a moment he was faintly reminded of his own 'Shadow Drive' and Sting's 'White Drive', but he couldn't begin to piece together what Over-Drive was supposed to be. How could it be... What was making her this sick?

Frosch walked into the bathroom, paws gripped about a small, icy blue stone that gleamed with Magic. The Exceed hopped onto the side of the bath, slowly dropping the Magical item into the water at their feet.

Rogue shivered as the water suddenly dropped several dozen degrees, Horatia feeling like a heater against his body- but the steam rising from the water nearly faded entirely, and her feverish gasping eased slightly, the pained and discomforted expression on her face softening a little in relief. Rogue sighed,

"Thank you, Frosch." He murmured softly, his red eyes moving toward the Exceed. Frosch nodded, still looking worried but having calmed down as Rogue did.

"Will Atia will be ok?" Frosch asked quietly, eyes wide.

"I don't know, Frosch." Rogue replied honestly, his eyes glittering in worry. "She needs a doctor, or a healer.... She's really sick, and I don't know how to help her." He admitted, and damn it... He really did feel helpless.

"Fro doesn't think the Doctors here will help us..." Frosch mumbled,

"No... They won't...." He muttered, feeling a rise of sudden resentment in himself. There was a flash of anger- and it was toward the Master.

She stopped breathing... Hora could have died for what that man did to her. He hurt her so much, he attacked her so brutally, she had gotten this sick and now she was getting worse and worse. She was fading fast and needed serious help sooner rather than later. The issue was, where would they find help at all?

His red eyes narrowed, fixed to the water in front of him, his hold on Hora tightening slightly.

_... We have to find someone... Anyone who could help her...._

Frosch settled down on the edge of the bath, eyes drooping a little. Rogue was the same way, they were both exhausted from worrying and looking after her as long as they had... And that tiredness still pulled at them, though Rogue wouldn't dare fall asleep again. He couldn't, his nerves were still on high alert and his heart was still racing in his chest.

His eyes fell closed, his arms still wrapped around Hora, sitting in silence in the very cold water as he honed in on her breathing, finding it soothing him slightly. He never thought just hearing her breath could be so lightening..... It eased as the minutes passed into an hour, and he simply remained there with her in his arms. He wasn't going to even dare think about leaving the water unless he was sure her fever was going down, and that was proving to be a long road.

His eyes opened when he felt her move under him, the water rippling slightly as her arms moved up toward her, her hands grasping onto his arms softly, her face pulling into a somewhat pained expression as her fingers gripped his arm tightly for a few moments, shaking her head weakly, and then she relaxed again. She seemed to be having a sort of fever-driven dream, and he gave her a small squeeze, hoping it may calm her down a little.

The sound of the front door being slammed open caught their immediate attention, Rogue's head snapped sideways and Frosch jumped up from dozing, fur standing on end.

"Rogue..?!" Sting's voice broke the silence of the apartment instantly, the blonde sounding slightly alarmed.

"Frosch?" Lector's voice sounded next, sounding worried. They could hear the two shuffling in the larger room outside the door. They must have just gotten back from the Job they had taken as a cover... And Sting had come running when he scented the sickness and the blood on the air.

"Sting." Rogue called quietly, his voice low and tired. Sting's footsteps echoed over the floors, moving quickly until he appeared with Lector by his side in the doorway, eyes wide and filled with worry and shock at seeing them in the tub, and the unconscious form of Hora in the Shadow Dragon Slayer's arms.

Sting swept up toward the tub, blue eyes glittering in worry and slight fear- his attention immediately fixed on the small drops of blood still dripping from the edge of Horatia's mouth, and the strained way in which she was breathing.

"What happened?" He asked quickly, Lector dropping onto the tub side by Frosch. He reached forward, his hand gently pressing against Hora's cheek, his face pulling into a worried frown at just how hot as was under his touch. "She's burning up.... More than normal...." He mumbled,

"She's been getting worse." Rogue murmured, he had talked to Sting via a Lacrima a few days ago and told him what was going on, so he knew Hora had been sick. "..... Her fever's gotten worse, she's burning out.... And there's clearly been some sort of internal damage we weren't prepared for." Rogue mumbled, his eyes flicking to the blood. "She... She stopped breathing." He said softly, seeing Sting go rigid, his eyes widening and a bead of sweat falling down his face as he felt his heart drop into his stomach at the words.

"W-what...?" He stammered,

"... Its bad, Sting." Rogue murmured. "I don't know what's wrong, and I don't know how to help her. She needs a Doctor, or a healer... I don't think she's going to last very long if we don't get some help." Sting nodded slightly,

"But where are we going to find someone to help her, Sting-kun?" Lector asked quietly,

"The Master is going to wonder where we are if we don't go back to the Guild." Rogue put in, "Hora went somewhere without telling anyone... And he was very angry. If we leave, he'll know, and he'll be pissed."  
Sting nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he remained with his hand resting to cradle her cheek a little, feeling the heat radiating from her skin and hearing her breathing coming in short gasps.

"... I know. I think I have an idea, but we're gonna have to move quickly." Sting sad quietly, eyes glittering in worry. "..... I hope they won't consider us enemies, this close to the Games.... For Hora's sake...."

* * *

 

"Thank you, Rufus." Rogue murmured, nodding to the man as he switched from the form of Horatia he had taken on.

The two stood at the bottom of the hill that lead up toward SaberTooth, Sting moving off quickly with Lector in tow. Rogue stopped beside the man, looking weary and tired as Rufus nodded in return.

"Certainly." The man replied softly, "Anything for a friend. This is Horatia's life on the line here, I'm happy to do what I can." He replied, tipping his hat to the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

As in accordance with Sting's idea, they asked Rufus to walk into the Guild alongside Rogue and the blonde- using Transformation Magic in order to assume Horatia's form. Doing so let the Guild believe she was fine and leaving with Sting and Rogue to go out of the city on a Job Request... When in reality, she wasn't even conscious.

They needed to get her out of the city and find help elsewhere, since they knew they wouldn't find help here. But they couldn't simply leave- Master would be angry if they did that, so they needed the cover of going on a Job away from the city to prevent suspicion. They planned to take her to another town, and hoped who they were going to ask for aid from were not going to refuse.... They couldn't, without help Hora was going to die.

Rogue nodded to him, "Will you four be alright?" Rufus asked, eyes glinting in faint worry. Rogue glanced away a moment, his red eyes dulling in exhaustion and fear.

"I hope so..." He replied. "I hope we can get help.... I really don't think Hora's going to last if we don't." Rufus sweatdropped a little, but nodded.

"Call when you can." Rufus murmured, "And good luck." Rogue nodded, Rufus turned away and made his way back toward the Guild. Frosch settled down on the Shadow Dragon Slayer's shoulder.

"Rogue..?" Frosch murmured, sliding tired.

"It's going to be alright, Frosch." Rogue replied, starting toward the direction Lector and Sting had moved away toward. "We'll find help. Hora's strong... She'll get through it."

If only he could make himself sound more sure.....

"Lets hurry, or we'll miss the Train." He murmured lowly, speeding up until he was jogging through the streets, eyes narrowed and tired. He grimaced slightly at the thought of the train, but knew they had no other choice. If riding a train meant bringing Horatia closer to someone who could help her- the discomfort was well worth it.

The duo met up outside the Train Station with Sting and Lector, the sun over their heads starting to wane as night started to settle in. They had waited for the water to bring Hora's temperature down as long as they could- so at least it was more manageable now. Though they were still concerned she may give them another scare and stop breathing as she had with Rogue. They had also called over Yukino, to help rewrap her wounds and change the bandages that had been soaked from the tub.

Hora rest in Sting's arms as he held her bridal style, Rogue's cloak draped over her body as she remained limp in the White Dragon Slayer's arms, her head resting lightly against his chest and breathing in short, quick breaths. Her features were marked by pain and discomfort, her fingers weakly gripping at the cloak over her body in her unconsciousness- as if she were enveloped in some dream... Or maybe a fever driven nightmare.

Sting's glittering gaze moved from being settled on Hora to Rogue and Frosch as they approached, oblivious or otherwise ignoring the questioning looks he was receiving from the people milling about the station. Sting nodded a little as they drew near, a small flicker of determination in his eyes, though it was mostly masked by worry and fear.

"Lets hurry." Sting murmured, Rogue nodded in return. They made their way on to the train quickly, setting down in one of the back carriages and picking the one with no one in it.

Sting gently lay Hora down on one of the empty benches, flinching slightly when her features scrunched in more pain and she winced. It must be painful to be moved at all, with how broken and battered she was from her injuries alone.... And that was discounting how sick she was.

The blonde Dragon Slayer settled down beside her, letting her head rest in his lap lightly and hand falling to gently rest on her shoulder- the other moving to brush away the loose strands of hair about her face, eyes glinting as he sweatdropped heavily.

Rogue took a seat opposite them, red eyes dulled with exhaustion and concern, his attention focused to Hora. Lector and Frosch settled on the bench beside the Shadow Dragon Slayer, eyes dulled in worry and fear.

Over and over in his mind, her last words to him before she had fallen into perpetual unconsciousness... They kept repeating.

_"... Its..... Over-Drive...."_

What the hell was that supposed to even mean...?!

He kept searching his memory, over and over he tried to recall some time, some place she may have mentioned something such as 'Over-Drive'- maybe even obscurely. And through his searching, he came up with nothing. He was entirely sure she had never mentioned it before now.

His eyes narrowed, even not being near, or in contact with her, he could still feel the waves of heat rolling off of her steadily. She was like a furnace.... Her Magic was out of hand and it could be physically felt now. It was acting on its own, presenting itself in transparent waves despite Hora still being very much unconscious and unaware.... He remembered how hot she was when he held on to her in the water, he could only imagine how hot she was now as she was pressed close to Sting.

This sickness that had taken hold of her... It wasn't natural. There was something else going on, and he was sure it was what Hora had said to him. It was 'Over-Drive', but he hadn't a clue what that actually was!

And with it he had no clue if it was going to kill her or not, what caused it, or how to fix it.

Before he realized it, the train had started moving and the minutes had passed into hours, the sun dying on the horizon and indigo painting the sky. So immersed in his thoughts and his confusion, he barely felt his Motion Sickness rising- he blinked, feeling the ever present pit of worry and fear in his stomach instead of the churning and the aversion to the movement of the train. He was too scared, too concerned and too exhausted to even be bothered to feel sick about the Train at all....

His red gaze moved up toward Sting, who's narrowed eyes were glinting in the growing dim, his free arm propped up and cheek resting against his closed fist. Even Sting didn't seem bothered by his usual Motion Sickness at all... He was the same as Rogue. Too worried, too fearful...

And them he remembered in full force what else Horatia had said to him. Of how she wanted them to leave the Guild... How she wanted them to leave her behind. That she couldn't leave.

He remembered very clearly her fear, her deep and true fear... And then his heart ached to remember how broken and utterly despairing she had seemed, to remember seeing the dull light of true and utter sadness in her eyes. A deeper sadness than he had ever seen in anyone, and more sadness and regret he had ever seen in Hora alone. She always seemed... Content. But he knew now there was some deep, dark, writhing mass of hidden emotion she had kept from them for so long.

"..... Sting." Rogue murmured softly, faintly aware that at some point Frosch and Lector had fallen asleep, and were curled up together on the seat next to him.

"Hmm..?" The White Dragon Slayer hummed softly, eyes closing a moment as a bead of sweat fell down his face.

"Before everything happened... Before she stopped breathing... Hora... She woke up." He said softly, slowly. The sudden words made Sting's eyes snap open in shock, resting on the Shadow Dragon Slayer in sudden alertness. Rogue hadn't mentioned this before, they had been too concerned with orchestrating what they needed to do to get out of Saber Town and find Hora help.

"..... Did she... Say anything...?" Sting asked softly, breathlessly almost. Rogue nodded a little, his red eyes falling to the floor.

"... She wants us to leave the Guild."

"Wha...?!" Sting stammered, completely caught off guard. "I... I know the Master's actions need to be stopped... But... Leaving the Guild... We can't do that..! All our friends are there... We can't leave them..!" Sting argued lowly, and Rogue nodded.

"I told her that. And still she told us to leave.... She blames herself for not stopping us from joining SaberTooth all those years ago... She feels she should have kept us away... She regrets everything that's happened to us from Minerva and the Master... And hates that it's because she let us join... That we've suffered....." His fists clenched slightly, still a little angry she could ever believe such a thing.

"That's nonesense!" Sting growled lowly,

_.... But was it?_

In his own mind, Rogue had begun to understand why she felt such a way.... Why she felt it was her fault....

.... He realized now she had tried to warn them. She had tried to persuade them from joining the Guild when they had first met. And realized now.. They failed to understand her warnings, see them.... And they had failed to see the worry in her eyes when they said they wanted to join.

And still, here they were....

"... I know it is." Rogue mumbled, eyes closing and head bowing slightly. ".... But.... I can understand where she's coming from with the idea.... I think she did try to stop us. She tried to convince us not to join the Guild, and we just didn't listen." He glanced up to see Sting stiffen slightly at the words, his blue eyes falling away as he sweatdropped.

"And now... We can see why she didn't want us to join. She couldn't have ever explained to us truly what SaberTooth and the Master were like." He went on. ".... And she hates it. She doesn't want us to be a part of it anymore, so she told us to run. She said to leave... Leave the Guild, leave our friends.... And she.." He took a deep breath,

"... She said to leave her behind."

Sting stared at him, eyes wide and jaw dropped slightly, completely silent and rigid at the words. He didn't seem to believe the words anymore than Rogue had, and he seemed slightly taken aback by them. Because the idea was just ludicrous, they couldn't ever just leave her behind, it wasn't an option! Under any circumstance!

".... But.... We wouldn't ever.... We'd never leave her behind." Sting stammered, his eyes growing hard. "How could she even suggest such a thing..?!"

"... She says she can't leave the Guild." Rogue murmured, Sting shook his head roughly, suddenly seeming to grow agitated.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Its not as if she's a pet or something! She's a free, living person, and has every right to do what she wants! How could she even think that?! What a stupid idea... Idiot...!" Sting hissed, his voice rising unintentionally as his eyes flashed in irritation. It didn't make any sense to him, how could she really think she couldn't leave the Guild? So much so she told them to leave her behind?

Master doesn't own her! SaberTooth doesn't own her! How could she think so little of herself?! Of course she can leave!!

"..... I don't understand it either, Sting." Rogue said quietly, his red eyes shinning as he locked gazes with the blonde. "... It doesn't make sense.... But..... She truly doesn't think she can leave... And she wouldn't tell me why... I just know... Its something serious..." He swallowed,

"... She was crying, when she told me she couldn't leave..."

That shut Sting up instantly, his eyes wide and mouth agape, shock sweeping through him. Crying?

".... She... She was... Crying...?" His gone dropped to a whisper, he was shocked, and instantly... He was worried. He knew Hora... And she'd never cried, she'd never come close to it... If she was crying.....

... What on earth... Could make her think... She really couldn't leave...?

".... I don't...." Sting's voice dropped to a whisper, face tilting down and a shadow casting over his eyes to keep them from view. ".... Hora.... Is she really... Hurting that much.....? And..... We never... Never realized it....?" Rogue stiffened, sweatdropping as a frown pulled at his face.

"..... Are we... That blind.....?"

He felt ashamed, they both did. They felt Guilty.... Because they were friends... They were Family, and somehow they had still seemed to fail to notice.... Hora hurting... They had failed to see how scared she was, how much pain she was in, how worried she was and how much she blamed herself for the suffering they had endured under Master and Minerva's actions.... They had never really known what she truly felt.... If they failed to see all of that.....

... How could they even call themselves her friends, then?

..... They were at fault. More so than she was....

".... Damn it..." Sting hissed, fangs grinding down on one another. ".... We're.... So stupid.....!" Rogue's eyes fell closed, head falling in shame, and regret.

"..... We can't let ourselves miss any of that... We can't fail to understand, or even see what Hora's feeling. Not anymore.. We're supposed to be her friends, and friends should always know when the other is hurting, or in pain, or sad or worried!" Sting hissed, "... We have to do better. We have to pay more attention to her, and her feelings..!"

".... Like she's always concerned with ours." Rogue said softly, nodding a little in agreement. "Hora.... She's always been there for us. She always knows what we're feeling, and is right there to help us when we need it. We may not have realized it.... But she's been keeping watch on us all this time, doing what she could to keep us as safe as she can... And happy." His fists clenched a little. "We have to repay her for that."

"Yeah.... And we will. That's a vow." Sting said firmly, eyes growing hard as he glanced toward Hora, his eyes growing slightly softer.

"We'll do better... Be better friends to her.." He murmured.

"... We'll be better family. We'll look after her as much as she looks after us." Rogue promised, his voice low as he nodded in agreement with Sting, strong determination settling inside of him.

They had to do better.

They would keep to their promises, because now they realized they had missed so much... And they hated themselves for being so blind to her pain and her sadness. They hated they had been so oblivious... And Hora deserved better than that. They couldn't ask for a better friend than her... And they hadn't been returning the favor.

All first appearances, and impressions of these two- they were radically different from how they truly were, especially around the people they cared for. When first meeting Sting- he came off as an arrogant prick who cared little for other people, and more for his own personal gain. Rogue seemed emotionless, as if he didn't care about the world- as was stony and cold to everyone, to all those people who didn't know him, or what he was truly like. In reality- the few people who realized that there was more to the Twin Dragon Slayers than first appeared, those would have been Orga, Yukino, Rufus... And of course Horatia.

They had put up a huge wall between their true selves and the outside world. They had created an act, a facade that they played and put on for the rest of the world- and fallen so deep into it, they couldn't be their true selves with anyone they didn't know. People didn't like them... Because they didn't _know_ them. And maybe they never would, the way SaberTooth was going.

".... There was something else." Rogue murmured after a few moments of silence went by. Sting glanced toward him again, "... I mentioned her fever, and the sudden sickness... And when I asked her what was going on.... She told me it was 'Over-Drive'." Sting blinked in question, looking confused.

"Over-Drive...?" Sting murmured, shaking his head a little. "I've never heard of it..."

"Neither have I.... But she wouldn't have said it, if it wasn't important."

Maybe important enough.... That without knowing what it was....

_.... Could she die... Because of this... Over-Drive..?_

* * *

 

_"B-big...... Big Brother?!?!"_

_She screamed. Screamed in terror and panic as her voice was lost to the roaring of hundreds of frightened and terrified people running around her, the noise of their shouts and their own screams pounding against her ears._

_The whole village was in a complete state of panic, of destruction and disarray... Homes and buildings, all those structures she had come to know by heart- they lay in smoldering ruin around her, flames dancing and rubble thrown all about. Her home was now a mess of destruction, everything looked foreign, she couldn't begin to place where she was- and the mass of running and sprinting people around her on all sides wasn't helping any._

_She looked around wildly, stumbling and tripping in the snow laden and soot covered streets- her toes numb from the icy water seeping into her shoes._

_"Mom?! Dad?!" She yelled, though no one could possibly hear such a small voice, tears welled from her eyes and fell down her cheeks, chest heaving and fighting for air as sheer terror sunk in even deeper in her heart. "Brother?! Please!!! Where are you?!"_

_She was alone... She was lost..... Her family....._

_There were bodies. People from the village, broken and bloody... Crushed under the fallen buildings. Torn apart by the rubble. Burned from the fires.... People were dying and lay all around her. Death hung in the air... It..._

_It was a massacre._

_She was trembling in her fear, her young heart hardly able to take such violence and death.. She'd never see this before, and she never should have. Such a thing as this... It was awful, it was horrifying, and among the roars of the beast and the screaming of the people around her- she was alone and lost._

_All she wanted... Was her family...._

_But.... There were so many people dead. Her heart stopped to think that maybe... Maybe..... Her family was dead too._

_The emptiness growing inside of her deepened, cold and rotting... She had never felt more alone, and her tears started to stream faster, blurring her vision as she stumbled about._

_"MOM?! DAD?!" She yelled, voice shaking and tripping, the large and daunting form of the creature blurred from the salty wetness clouding her eyes. She stumbled and fell, the snow and icy cobblestone underfoot rushing up to meet her small body with a painful thud._

_"B-Brother!!!!" She gasped, she just wanted... Wanted someone...._

_Her eyes moved from the blackened ice and snow, upward as she felt a massive shadow loom over her. Her wide and terrified gaze moved up to see the Beast standing before her, so massive it was it blocked out the sky._

_Its cold eyes glittering in animalistic rage and malice, her heart stopping and ice running through her veins as she simply remained motionless. She was too terrified to move, or even cry out as one of its clawed hands lift- sharp claws glinting in the fire light._

_She was going to die....._

_It swiped downward, she lift her arms as her eyes shut right in terror- the beasts hand catching her small body and tearing open her skin and muscle and bone with one of the wicked claws, her blood flying into the air and staining the snow- just as hundreds of different scarlet pools already were. The agony that swept through her was gut-wrenching, her vision went black and red at the pain of it tearing across her being, as she was sent flying- her scream of utter pain tearing at the air and her throat._

_She fell abruptly silent as she slammed into the ground, bones cracking. She rolled, coming to a halt, unmoving, unbreathing... A large, deep pool of crimson surrounding her body, the wound deep, bone showing through the shredded skin._

_She couldn't even hear the screaming anymore, she couldn't open her eyes... She couldn't even wince at her pain.... She was just... Falling..... Alone......._

_My... Family......... My brother..... Dead....._

_.... I should have.... Been dead...._

* * *

 

"What in the... Hell...?"

Several pairs of eyes gazed toward the small group of Mages, all expressions puzzled and many of them wary, some of them just looking on in plain disbelief.

Rogue, Lector, Frosch and Sting- who held Horatia's form close to him, almost protectively- they stood in the grand stone doorway to the large, regally built building. Its roofs reached over their heads, stone structures supported by wood and metal beams, tables spread out on either side of the main walkway in the center, the form of a fountain featuring a beautiful woman with a serpentine tail set in the very center. The water shooting from the fountain was dazzled by the multicolor fragments of light falling through the stained glass oculus above it.

All around them they were faced by the bewildered and some of them hateful glances of the Wizards of the Guild- understandable, considering SaberTooth's reputation with the other Wizard's Guilds of Fiore. SaberTooth was not very well liked, and Sting and Rogue even less so for their exploits in the Grand Magic Games- to which they had battled against some of these Wizards standing before them, and beaten... _Harshly._

"What the hell are you doing here?" One of the Wizards growled lowly, his dark gaze glinting in mistrust.

"You can't just how up here." Another one growled,

"We were on a Mission, and one of our Wizards was wounded, badly." Sting said, his tone low and face neutral. His facade, like a switch in his head was flipped when he was around other people- he wasn't _him_. "We had heard you had a Mage here who uses Healing Magic." He said in a matter of fact tone, there was no pleading in his face, no gentleness... No humility. Rogue beside him remained expressionless, his eyes dull and unreadable.

The rival Guild seemed to bristle at the words, looking slightly outraged at what he was saying to them.

"We want you to heal her." Sting said flatly, his tone borderline commanding- he couldn't stop himself. His true self was gone, under the role he had learned to play in front of other Guilds.

"Wha?!"

"Don't think you can just waltz in here, demanding we help you!!"

"Yeah, we don't owe you bastards anything!"

"Bastard, you can't even manage to show a little humility?! You are the one asking for our help here!"

Sting frowned a little, both he and Rogue sweatdropping slightly at the onslaught of angry comments and near refusal they were receiving already. It was clear they were not in good graces here, and it didn't seem likely they would be getting Hora help.

"Tch.... Aren't you supposed to be willing to help those in need or something?" Sting grumbled,

"And what the hell has SaberTooth ever done for us?!" Was the short reply. "You've humiliated and beaten us without mercy and acted without kindness toward us. You look down on all Guilds and treat other Wizards like crap, why the hell should we treat you any differently?!"

Rogue and Sting sweatdropped, Lector and Frosch exchanged slightly worried gazes between themselves.

"Besides- you're so convinced SaberTooth is _so_ great, why do you need help from anyone else?" Another growled lowly, "Aren't you supposed to be the strongest Guild on all of Fiore? Why would you need help from the ' _weaker_ ' Guilds?"

Sting grimaced, hearing the same thing that he had said several times over in the Games suddenly reiterated to him. His anger and irritation suddenly rose, fangs baring slightly as he barely held himself back from snapping at them all. He could yell and demand they help, and for a moment he wanted to- but then his worry and fear for his friend grew stronger and he stopped himself.

"Get out! Nobody wants you here!"

_"Enough!"_

The large booming voice tore out over the angry murmurs, the figure of a large and daunting man made his way toward the front of the crowd, arms crossed over his chest and eyes steely. He looked over the coalition of SaberTooth Wizards silently, seemingly agitated though he kept his dislike for them at bay for now- much more refined and controlled than his other members.

Beside the large man approached a small girl with fiery pink hair and deep blue eyes, glinting not in hate... But in slight concern.

"Regardless of the past, and the things your Guild has done to us," The man said lowly, all attention suddenly on him in respectful silence. "It is unfitting for any Guild, or human being, to turn away someone in true need. We would be no better than the worst Dark Guilds if we were to send them away now." The Guild around him fell silent, sweatdropping slightly and seeming to falter, some of them looking ashamed.

The girl moved up toward Sting slowly, the White Dragon Slayer stiffened slightly as she looked to him a little warily. "What happened?" She asked gently, "How long has she... Been like this?" Her blue gaze flicked toward Horatia.

"... A powerful Wizard attacked her. She suffered a lot of damage... And she's been sick for nearly a week." Rogue answered in a low, monotone voice as Sting remained silent. The girl's eyes widened in shock,

"A week?" She echoed lowly,

"And you're only now looking for help?" The man with the white hair and dark eyes asked lowly.

"We weren't near any place with a Doctor." Rogue replied, the lie slipping past his lips nearly effortlessly. They had no choice but to lie... "We tried to wait it out, but her fever just got worse. We decided to head to the closest town- here." They received flinty, piercing stares in return to the story- which wasn't at all true. They just couldn't ever explain that it wasn't a Dark Mage who did this... That it was their own Master, and the Doctors in their own city would have been too afraid to help Hora, out of fear of Jiemma.

There was a strained silence over the building a moment, before the girl slowly made her way closer to Sting- who stiffened as she moved, eyes narrowed and watching her closely. She held up her hands in a gesture meant to calm him, as she slowly placed a hand on Hora's forehead, eyes widening in utter shock at how hot she was to the touch.

"She's burning up..." The girl murmured, eyes scanning the unconscious woman a moment, before glancing back to the large and daunting man behind her who had quieted the Guild around them. "She's really hurt." She affirmed, eyes glinting. The man blinked, before nodding slightly, his eyes falling closed as he seemed to go into thought.

"..... We will help your comrade." He decided, earning shocked gazes from the SaberTooth Mages at how easily they had given in to their request. "It would speak ill of us to refuse you, even with the past and your actions against us." Sting and Rogue sweatdropped, eyes hard.

".... I suppose it would make us look bad..."

"It'd be evil of us to refuse.... He's right... Damn it."

There were murmurs of hesitant and grudging agreement that swept over the hall, the fear in the hearts of the SaberTooth Mages lessened a little- despite the clear scorn.

"Come on." The girl said to Sting, flicking her head the opposite direction of him. "Bring her here, I'll get to work immediately." Sting paused a moment, before nodding stiffly.

Sting made his way through the crowd of rival Wizards slowly, following the girl closely, eyes hard and expression tense. Rogue made to move after them, but the larger man stepped in front of him, blocking the way. His red eyes glittered slightly at the action, but he didn't argue.

"SaberTooth bending to ask for assistance from us.... It seemed impossible." The man murmured, as Rogue frowned slightly. "We will do what we can for your comrade, but don't expect happiness that you're here."

Rogue looked past the man, his eyes following Sting and Hora move through a door at the back of the Guild and out of sight.

This was dangerous in itself.... Word that SaberTooth's Twin Dragons had come here and asked for help was sure to spread. The longer they were here, the more likely it was their actions would be heard of by the Master.... And then they would be in a large bit of trouble. With this, came something he didn't like... They were going to have to leave Hora here.

The idea was not one they stomached well in any way, they would never want to leave her here among strange Wizards who were not at all fond of SaberTooth... But they hadn't a choice. They knew enough to realize that Hora would be here for a few days at least to recover, and they couldn't stick around- it would draw too much attention. Saber's Twin Dragons saying in Margaret Town for any extended amount of time would cause a stir.... But a rather unknown Mage, who many had no idea was affiliated with SaberTooth staying here would hardly cause a ripple. And they needed to stay as low key as possible.... But they hated it none the less. They wouldn't leave her here with light hearts, they'd be worried and tense, and very opposed to the idea. They just... _Didn't have a choice._ The situation was too delicate.

Rogue's eyes closed, sweatdropping slightly as his shoulders seemed to hunch a little, his emotionless expression turning to one of... Discomfort for a moment.

Despite the act he and Sting played with other people, especially other Guilds- the arrogance that Sting put off wasn't all together an act at all. Sting _was_ arrogant..... It just reached new heights around other people. Rogue was _proud_ , stubborn even...... But even now, he couldn't stay prideful as the worry and the fear he felt for Hora suddenly began to melt, now that she was going to be helped, and maybe even _saved_. For the sake of his friend.....

".... Thank... You..." He grumbled, the words sounding pained as they made it past his lips in a soft tenor. It looked as if it was hard for him to say those two words at all, as he glanced away from the man, looking tense.

The larger man's eyes widened in utter shock, looking astounded and caught off guard, before he smirked, just slightly.

"So you do know humility." He murmured and Rogue sweatdropped more, ".... This girl must mean a lot to you two, if you were willing to ask for assistance, hmm?" He hummed lightly and Rogue still don't look up at him. The man only smiled a little more, perhaps seeing just a small, _tiny_ glimpse... That maybe SaberTooth and its Mages were not as they appeared all together. Who'd have known..?

"... Perhaps SaberTooth is not entirely arrogant and ruthless after all..."


	4. In You..... In Me

**Chapter 4**   
**In You.... In Me**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:** **.**

SaberTooth used to be weak.

As it would happen, it was those days that the Guild barely made a dent in the world, when it wasn't even known to exist by the rest of the World, where the Members weren't particularly strong, where they weren't famous, renowned... Those were the days she remembered most fondly. SaberTooth used to be happy, content... And it wasn't strong, no.

But it was better than what it is now. Ruled by a merciless man with no care for anything or anyone outside of gaining more and more power. A man who was willing to beat and humiliate the people he was supposed to protect as their Guild Master, a Guild in which she was a prisoner... She was trapped.

She remembered SaberTooth and its Master, its Members fondly... She loved that Guild, and then Jiemma came and she was just... angry and scared and alone.

_Again..._

Hora had joined that small, unknown little Guild known as SaberTooth when she was 11. It was a Guild filled with kind people who, for what they lacked in Magical Capability, they made up for it in caring and thoughtfulness. The Members were kind to her, the Master... He was a caring man, someone she looked up to, someone she had come to admire. For a year she was in the Guild- they took her in, made her feel welcome, loved... For a year, her sad, suffering existence was just... Bliss.

Life had been unbearably hard and painful for her... Since that Beast, since her home was destroyed and her family killed... Since she should have died, and yet never did.

What kept her living... What made sure she didn't die that day... It had been pure agony. The thing that kept her living was nothing less than torture, as she lived on cold, in agony, alone... Numb and empty inside. Over and over she had wished she'd died that day, because she wasn't existing for anything... She was just an empty shell of numbing non reality, and fiery hot rage and pain.

She should have been dead, like her Family, like her brother... What was the point of living, if your existence was just to be cursed to walk alone, and empty?

Being in the Guild... Feeling included, having people to turn to, share with, talk to... For the first time since that night that she should have died... She didn't feel alone anymore. She was... Happy. She'd never thought she could be happy again.

But a year was all it lasted. A year until the day that Jiemma appeared in SaberTooth. That man, he challenged her Master for control of SaberTooth. He wouldn't take no for an answer... She remembered it like it was just yesterday.

The curse of living alone, of walking on and on with no purpose... She couldn't ever forget. She'd never been able to forget all the awful, the haunting, the painful... She remembered it all.

She remembered very clearly the looks of horror on the faces of her fellow Members. She remembered how terrified she was... As Jiemma killed her Master with one, crushing, decisive blow.

_'If the fool hadn't refused to hand over the Guild, he may have lived to walk away.'_

Jiemma's voice was cold, emotionless. He showed no remorse, no hesitation, no emotion to the life he had so brutally ended with his own hands... An innocent, and good life. A kind man... Someone... She...

His cold, dark eyes landed on her. Immediately he had singled her out... And immediately he had made his mind, that she wouldn't be getting away from him. He made damn sure that she couldn't ever get away... And implanted an innate fear inside of her heart, so she would never question, never fight... She couldn't.

He rose to power, he ruled SaberTooth with a brutal, bloodied fist. He cared not who he hurt, who he threw out... He didn't care that he wasn't liked. He didn't care that people hated him- all he wanted was power, and knew best that fear would give him what he wanted. He wanted an unquestioning army... He wanted people who were too scared of him and his power, to ever go against his orders.

_He got what he wanted... He always does. He got the Guild. He got his army... And he got me. He still has me..._

_Slave_

_He is a tyrant. He is evil, he's ruthless and brutal... And he doesn't deserve the people he commands. He doesn't deserve the right to be called 'Master'._

Guild Master's are supposed to be Guides. They're supposed to be people the Mages under them can look to for advice, leadership, kindness... He's just an evil man, a cold, ruthless bastard. Her hatred for him knew no bounds... For however empty and cold she was inside... Her hatred for Jiemma always burned like a raging wildfire. One that blazed inside of her, threatening to engulf her and the world around it... But she couldn't let the flames go free. If she did that... He's just kill her.

She wasn't afraid of dying... For the longest time she just wanted to be dead. She had made her peace with the idea that night the Beast should have killed her.

She wasn't afraid of death... She wasn't even afraid of Jiemma, or his witch of a daughter. There was only one thing that scared her... And that was the thought of what they might do to the people she had grown to care for.

... She was the only one left. Jiemma either threw out every single Mage that had been in the Guild before, or they left. None of them lived up to his standards of power and strength... She was the one last reminder of what SaberTooth had once been. Jiemma would never let her leave... Because she served to feed his hunger for power. He relished in how he could control her, how he owned her... Truly trapped.

She wished... Rogue, Sting... Lector... Frosch... Rufus... Orga... Yukino... All those people she had leaned to care for... She wished they could have come to be a part of the Guild she remembered... Not the oppressed, scared and helpless band of Mages ruled over by a tyrannical mad man.

She was still so empty... So angry... So numb.

She never let them know that... She never let them see the pain and the suffering mass of emotion that filled her hollowed out shell of a body. The body of a girl who died oh so many years ago...

What happiness she felt... It was all memory... And the rest... The rest was them.

Why was it that everything good... Ended up being clouded and crushed beneath everything bad, and evil...?

_My happiness... Just ends up being destroyed, hurt, shattered..._

_... I've always wondered... Why do I keep trying...?_

_... I'm a huge softie._   
_I care... Too much..._   
_And I'm stubborn... Hellishly stubborn... And still..._   
_... I'm just so empty... And cold..._   
_And so... So very angry..._

_... What even am I anymore...?_

* * *

_She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava._

_Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding..._

_... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go. She wanted to be let go._

_And for what? What the hell was all this... All this pain and sheer agony, the suffering and the torture for anyway? Why was she being forced to endure it?_

_... The reason... It... It was impossible... She couldn't..._

_"STOP! PLEASE!"_

_"You must... Live! It is up to you... You have to defeat...!"_

_"NO!"_

She lunged upward, chest heaving in frantic, terrified and pained breaths- her body covered in sweat and heart raging in her chest, ruled by the terror of the memory, the agony of it... The suffering...

That pain, the terrible fire running through her body- that didn't go away, though the intensity of it lessened considerably. Her mind was still racing, senses on high alert and panting in short gasps as her dark blue gaze swept across the room- its stone walls and beds laying about, the light filtering through the window... The several melted puddles of wax that had served as candles once upon a time. The wilted and dried plants in vases burned dry of any water they may have once held...

... Her Magic... She must have... Started to melt things... Burn them...

She sweatdropped, doing her best to calm her breathing down and settle her nerves- and doing her best to come to terms with what happened, where she was, and what was going on... Her mind was still in a slightly feverish blur. The memory was fading... But not nearly fast enough.

There in the sounds of the waking world began to invade her senses, of...Conversation... Laughter...

... She was immediately aware she wasn't in SaberTooth. In fact... She didn't recognize this place at all.

_I'm... Alone..._

She hated that feeling, but even more so- she hated the fact she had no clue where she was or what was going on. Her mind began to race in a new rise of panic, despite herself. She leapt from the bed, wincing harshly at the dull pain that spread across her body at the quick movement- feeling suddenly lightheaded though she hardly cared. She faintly took notice that parts of her person were covered in bandages, while by some miracle most of her injuries were just... Gone.

Her dark blue gaze snapped over toward a neatly folded set of clothes in the nearest table to her- she was very (and most uncomfortably) aware of her nearly naked person. She sweatdropped, finding they weren't her clothes- but hastily put them on anyway, assuming they were for her anyway.

She pulled at the collar of the dark red shirt, buttoning up the middle and rolling the sleeve cuffs up to her elbows. The shirt felt as if it was made for someone with a larger bust than she had... She sweatdropped, blushing faintly in embarrassment at the thought.

She sighed slightly, slipping into the mid length black skirt with a slit up the side, its edges trimmed with crimson, that had also been left on the table, she usually didn't like to wear skirts or dresses- they weren't usually very good attire for battling, but it was better than nothing she supposed.

Her eyes moved toward the table, falling into the length of dark blue ribbon still on top. Her attention moved from that, toward her earrings and rings- much to her relief. She replaced her accessories and turned away toward the door. She took a single step, before shaking her head a little and turning back- taking the ribbon up and quickly using it to tie her hair back a little loosely.

She stepped across the empty room lightly, eyes narrowing as she paused at the door. Her nerves had settled some, but she remained considerably wary- she still had no idea what was going on, or where she was. The fact that she couldn't see Sting or Rogue, or even Lector and Frosch- that put her on edge. She wasn't a fan of waking up in a strange place with no one familiar close by, and with her memory so hazy and missing such large chunks... She was tense.

She recalled Master and his punishment of course... And remembered waking up, speaking with Rogue... She sweatdropped, her hand coming up to her chest and bunching about the shirt tightly, eyes narrowed.

Ah, right... The reason her chest ached more than anything... The memory of feeling insanely hot, and then deathly cold... That hadn't been a long ago memory, that had been recently- namely, when she had told Rogue to leave SaberTooth.

She sweatdropped a little, eyes narrowing to slits.

"... Over-Drive... Damn it..." She was rather surprised she felt as good as she did now, considering she did remember feeling like absolute shit- and with good reason. And on that note- she shouldn't be able to move right now, and yet her pain was just a dull ache... She felt relatively fine.

Now how is that possible...?

She shook her head slightly, deciding it best to focus on one mystery at a time- the first she would solve; where the hell am I?!

She slowly cracked the door open, her dark blue eyes widening in utter shock to see the large coalition of people on the other side, inside a grand hall of stone. And not just people... Wizards.

Her eyes trailed from the metal and wood supports, to the stained glass oculus, down to the fountain in the center and the beautiful woman with the serpentine tail. She sweatdropped more, her eyes moving toward a large green banner set atop the front doors on the far side of the building from her, the symbol emblazoned on it making her heart race in absolute surprise and utter shock, a large bead of sweat dripping down her face, eyes wider than ever.

_This... This is...!_

"Lamia Scale?!"

* * *

 

_They... Those... Those idiots!_

Her heart was racing, eyes wide in shock as she stood in astonishment- she wasn't sure she could believe this... How could she?!

_How... How could those dumbasses..._   
_Leave me here?!_

Of course she realized they must have had a very good reason, and she knew precisely why they left- for fear of the Master hearing of them asking another Guild for help- which would not be taken kindly by the Master in any way shape or form. She understood the reasoning nearly immediately, realized things had been serious and delicate... But in that moment her heart lurched in slight panic.

She wouldn't consider herself an overly cautious, nor easily scared person. In all aspects she was easy going and calm... But she hated it about herself- but she couldn't help but feel panic and even deep uneasiness at being all alone.. She hated being alone...!

And especially in a Guild full of Wizards she didn't know, and probably hated her for being in SaberTooth...?! She shouldn't have been angry at Sting and Rogue for their actions, but she suddenly was... She couldn't help it...!

Her racing and slightly frantic thoughts suddenly snapped toward the feeling of someone or something suddenly behind her- hearing someone's low breathing and the soft pat of their shoes on the stone floor. But more than anything she felt their body heat wash against her back, and her heart leapt.

She whipped about quickly, arm and hand raising- fingers clenching into a fist as her eyes narrowed. She may be acting a bit rashly for where it was she was... But at the moment she hardly thought on that.

The persons hand came up to grab onto her wrist with an iron like hold, her blue eyes meeting deep onyx ones. She stiffened, eyes narrowing more as she sweatdropped- all her movement coming to a stand still as the man looked to her with a neutral face, though slightly unamused she had been about to hit him. A shiver ran up her spine, at how cold his hand was to her unusually warm body.

He was only slightly taller than she was, and looked older. His hair was a silvery blue-white, wearing an attire of dark blue with gold trimmings. She didn't recognize him, not that she was too familiar with Lamia Scale and its Members at any rate.

"Tch..." She grumbled, he blinked, eyes narrowing in thought a moment, before he let her wrist go and she took a step back from him.

"You're very lively." He commented calmly, "Especially considering your condition.. That must mean you're feeling better." She stiffened slightly, as he blinked, looking a little thoughtful. "Though... You are still rather warm."

She sweatdropped, eyes narrowing a little more as she bit the inside of her cheek in sudden nervousness. She wasn't sure how to react to his sudden appearance, and wasn't exactly comfortable with him either- seeing as how they were strangers.

"... That's normal." She murmured, he blinked in surprise. "The nature of my Magic... I'm always warmer to the touch than normal... Though you yourself, you are rather cold." She explained and his head tilted slightly.

"... Alright." He relented.

"How long have you been standing there?" She mumbled, now realizing there was a second set of doors on the other side of the room from them. Her eyes narrowed in slight suspicion, still tense.

"Long enough." He replied calmly. Her eyes widened, a sudden blush dusting her cheeks as she scowled at him slightly.

"Y-you... You perv!" She stammered hotly, fists clenching at her sides as he blinked in shock. "You watched me get dressed?! Creep!"

"W-what?!" He stammered, starting to blush himself. He held his hands up in a gesture of innocence, eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily. "N-no! I... I didn't... I mean I did walk... But I... No... I just..." He stammered in nervous fragments, his eyes switching between her and every point other than herself frantically. She growled, jaw clenching and raising a fist threateningly. He let out a low sigh, head hanging a little.

His eyes slowly moved up to her, calm and still slightly flustered- but lacking the tenseness he had held before. "Alright... I think we got off on the wrong foot, lets start over?" He murmured, straightening up and clearing his throat a little- smiling slightly in what she guessed was supposed to be friendly manner. She just blinked, looking unsure and still blushing faintly in nervousness.

"I'm Lyon Vastia. Its good to make your acquaintance." He told her, extending a hand toward her. Hora stayed still a moment, sweatdropping as she glanced between him and his outstretched hand slowly. She wasn't sure how she felt about him... Or any of this for that matter.

She wouldn't consider herself a non-friendly person, despite her Guild's Reputation. If anything, she was probably the only person in SaberTooth who didn't keep an act on for the outside world... But she was still tense, finding herself here and alone- as well as missing a large span of recollection. She was also a little miffed, at being left there at all- and at this Lyon guy, quite sure he had been peeking when she got dressed.

She took in a small breath in attempt to calm herself down a little, nodding at him slightly as her eyes gleamed. She took his hand and shook it, once again feeling his skin unnaturally icy cold.

"Horatia." She replied, not offering a last name- he seemed to blink at that, but didn't question it either. Their hands separated and she crossed her arms over her chest, "... Sorry, for being so quick to act." She mumbled, he blinked in utter shock. SaberTooth Members never apologized for anything...

"... I'm usually more mellow. I'm just... A little on edge." She mumbled, he nodded slightly.

"With reason." He told her and as blinked, he shrugged slightly. "Anyone would be uneasy, waking up in a strange Guild." He told her and she nodded slightly, smiling a little that he seemed to catch on quickly. "Do you remember anything?" He asked, "You've been out for a long while, according to your Guild-Mates."

She sighed slightly, sweatdropping a little more as her eyes fell to the floor. Right... She remembered Rogue telling her she had been out for a week... And figured it was a few more days added on to that now.

 _Damn it... That bastard managed to do that much damage... Freaking hell..._ Of course, she couldn't very well go and say it had been her own Master that had put her in such a state, and since she wasn't sure what story Rogue and Sting had sold when they brought her here, she'd keep her mouth shut.

She shook her head a little, "Yeah... I don't really remember hardly anything... Just bits and pieces." She replied softly, he blinked. "The guys that brought me here, were Sting and Rogue right?" She asked and he nodded, "They didn't happen to leave a note or something? Or mention when they'd be back?"

"No. They left shortly after arriving, and simply said they would return eventually- after finishing the rest of the Job you three were on." Lyon grumbled, she frowned slightly, feeling a little irritated.

_Those dumbasses..._

"... They really aren't the most sensitive sort of people, are they?" Lyon murmured and she blinked.

"Not all the time." She replied softly, letting out another sigh. But what was she supposed to do, wait here for those two to come back? She didn't like the idea of hanging out in a Guild full of strangers, and she was sure her stay wasn't very welcomed- considering SaberTooth's reputation among other Guilds. And especially Lamia Scale- who for the last seven years had been the 2nd most Powerful Guild in Fiore, just under SaberTooth.

But she hadn't any way to contact them, _what the hell am I gonna do...?!_

"Come on." Her attention snapped back to Lyon, who smiled just faintly at her- in what she guessed was supposed to be a reassuring gesture. Was her discomfort for being here that noticeable?

"I'm sure you've no interest being cooped up in this room, come see the rest of the Guild. I'll apologize in advance for any less than friendly reactions." He told her, eyes glinting slightly as his smile grew a little wider. "However, you don't seem like most of your Guild-Mates. You're a bit easier to get along with I think, I doubt the rest of the Guild will warm up to you rather quickly." Hora blinked, slightly surprised by the words.

She hesitated a moment, still slightly nervous but he just smiled lightly and she slowly nodded. He had a point... She did not want to spend any more time in this room than she had to. However, she wasn't sure spending time in the heart of Lamia Scale sounded any better.

But maybe he had a point about her being able to get along with other people better than the rest of SaberTooth. She didn't put on the act that the rest of the Guild felt they had to, she wasn't afraid of Jiemma enough to begin acting like a proud, stuck up and brutal person around the outside world. For all purposes, she did do her best to stay true to who she was- and was as polite and kind as she could manage. Of course, that didn't mean she would be treated the same way by other Wizards. She may not have made herself a personal enemy of any of these people, but for her bearing of the SaberTooth Guild's mark, that made her an enemy no matter what- and brought on scorn and anger, even hate wherever she went.

She knew well she would be walking on thin ice around here in Lamia Scale, but what the hell was she gonna do anyway? It wouldn't be the best idea to run off without knowing when Sting and Rogue would be back... So she was stuck. And again she felt annoyance flare up inside of her toward the two.

"... Alright." She relented, "Lead the way then..." She mumbled, eyes narrowed slightly and still a little unsure. Lyon seemed nice enough, sure... She didn't get the feeling he was trying to get her in trouble, and she wouldn't give Lamia any reason to dislike her more than they already would. He smiled, nodding a little as he turned toward the door, Hora stepped after him softly.

"... I'm not convinced mingling with your Guild is the best idea." She murmured lowly from behind him, dark blue eyes fixed to his back. "But... I do promise I won't stir up trouble, as much as I can help it." She mumbled, he nodded slightly without glancing back.

"You really are quite strange for a Member of SaberTooth." He replied softly, stepping through the door. She sweatdropped slightly at the comment, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. You may get a few glares, but I think after we warm up to you a little, things will be alright." She blinked at him,

She had never been afforded much chance to interact with people in other Guilds, or get to know them. She'd never seen Lyon before, he hadn't ever participated in the GMG as far as she could remember, so she hadn't a clue as to what he was like, or what sort of Wizard. But just from first appearances, he seemed a little reserved at first glance- but deeper down he seemed rather kind, and laid back in a way.

She wondered why he had warmed up to her so quickly... She had tried to hit him, and snapped at him a little in their first few moments of meeting. That would put most people off, but he seemed to push past it quickly.

She blinked again, deciding he was just a little odd... And hard to understand fully. She doubted she would fully understand the true Lyon in the time she was allowed to be in his company,

Her attention snapped from Lyon to the very full hall around her as they made their way through it, sweatdropping a little more when she saw her presence was quickly being noticed by the Lamia Scale Wizards. She sped up a little, self consciously sticking closer to Lyon despite herself- her eyes flicking about the hall quickly before her gaze fell to the floor, arms hooking behind her back.

"Hey, its that Saber girl..."

"She's up, finally..."

"What's she doing with Lyon?"

She sweatdropped more, almost walking into Lyon as he suddenly came to a halt beside the bar across the room, faced by four people she hadn't seen approach them. She stepped up from behind the pale haired man a little, blinking a little at the wary glances she received from three of the four he had stopped in front of. Her dark blue gazed locked with a young girl's, her hair in pigtails and a fiery pink color.

"Lyon, there you are." The other girl among the group murmured, her hair the same color as the other but clearly older.

"We were wondering where you'd run off to." The man with the... Large... Eyebrows murmured, arms hooked behind his back as his eyes flicked toward her for a moment, looking skeptical. She recognized him, from his past participation in the Grand Magic Games- a Wave User by the name of Yuka. And the tall, dog-like man beside him she recognized too- as Tobi.

"I went to check on our guest." Lyon replied easily, a small smile gracing his lips. The young girl stepped up, smiling softly to Hora as she approached her, eyes glinting.

Hora stared, blinking a few times and stiffening slightly as she moved closer- though it wasn't noticeable. The girl smiled, head tilted in a questioning manner and hands resting on her hips, something seemed to go off in the back of her mind for a small moment. To Hora, something about this girl struck her as familiar.

"So you're up and awake then," she smiled, "I was a little worried for awhile there, your wounds were pretty bad. It took a lot of work to get your fever down and to start curing the illness that took a hold of you, and to start repairing the damage that had caused it in the first place. It wasn't like anything I had ever seen before. You look a lot better though, how are you feeling?" She murmured, smile never fading as Hora sweatdropped, looking slightly stunned a moment.

"This is Sherria," Lyon broke in, noticing the girl had failed to introduce herself. Hora blinked in slight surprise, her eyes casting across toward him quickly a moment. "She's the one who healed you. And these are Sherry, Yuka and Tobi." He introduced the other three easily, who nodded a little.

Hora's attention moved back toward Sherria's bright, smiling features. Inside her heart leapt a little, realizing immediately why this girl had seemed familiar- she knew who Sherria was, the Sky God Slayer. In possession of a Slayer Magic... And Healing Magic as well, which explained why she was in as good as shape as she was, and probably why Sting and Rogue had brought her here in the first place.

She'd never expected to meet any of the other Slayers outside those in SaberTooth itself, but suddenly she felt a little flustered.

 _The damage that caused the illness in the first place..._ In reality... She shouldn't have survived Over-Drive, being as bad as it was... She was alive because of this young girl, and she very well knew it.

In the back of her mind she hoped Sherria wouldn't mention what had caused the illness in the first place, it wasn't a subject she wanted to get into... At all...

Her eyes fell closed, hands folding together in front of her as she suddenly bowed, her loose strands of hair falling about her shoulders as she stood in the gesture before Sherria silently a moment.

"You have my deepest thanks, for everything you did to help heal me, Sherria." Hora murmured, "You did me a great service, and I owe you my life. I feel great, you did an amazing job. So thank you, truly."

Sherria blinked in slight shock at the sudden action and words, looking dumbfounded. Everyone around them seemed to have stopped breathing, everyone remained in shocked silence, their eyes riveted to the scene and such the humble, and even submissive, respective gesture made by Hora- a member of SaberTooth! SaberTooth Wizards never thanked anyone, ever, _for anything_! Let alone another Guild! They had never seen anything like it,

Hora straightened up, turning slightly to face the rest of the Lamia Scale Guild as she clapped her hands in front of her lightly, eyes still closed and head bowed slightly.

"Thank you as well, Lamia Scale, for allowing me to stay here while I rested. I thank you for your help, and hospitality."

The hall was deadly silent, as Hora stood still, eyes still closed and slightly tense. She meant what she said of course, she wasn't just thanking them out of courtesy- she did truly appreciate the help she had been given. She couldn't explain what really happened, or why it was she had been in such a way... Or even how very close to death she had come. They wouldn't understand it, and she wasn't going to explain it entirely either. It was all so complicated, but she was truly, sincerely thankful for their help. And she wasn't afraid to voice it,

Lyon smirked slightly, seeing the shocked expressions on his Guild Mates as they stared at Horatia in silence. Which he himself felt of course, but it was clear that she wasn't quite like the arrogant and proud Members of her Guild they were so used to seeing, in reality- he found it hard to believe she was a member of that Guild at all.

Around her, Lamia Scale seemed to relax a little as some of the members smirked slightly, others laughed a little and many of them smiled. They themselves weren't hardly able to believe this woman came from a Guild they had all come to hate, she wasn't anything like the other SaberTooth Members, she was likeable, sincere, and honest.

"You don't need to thank me, I was happy to help." Sherria smiled brightly, Hora's eyes opened to look her way, her hands falling slowly.

"And the Guild is happy to help too," Sherry murmured, "It was the right thing to do after all."

"Of course, we did grumble about it at first." Yuka relented with a small sigh,

"But only because those two guys were super rude about asking!" Tobi snapped, Hora sweatdropped slightly. Of course they were, they couldn't break away from the act...

"Calm down." Yuka told Tobi,

"Regardless, I really am thankful." Hora murmured, Lyon crossed his arms over his chest with a small laugh, earning her attention.

"I told you they'd warm up to you rather fast." He commented and she blinked, smiling just a little with a slight nod.

"Yeah..." She smiled softly, in an almost carefree and relaxed manner suddenly, earning a smile from him, before he seemed to blink, eyes narrowing a little in thought.

"A SaberTooth Wizard not afraid to show humility openly, such a surprise!" Hora stiffened, jumping slightly at the loud voice and the feel of someone standing behind her suddenly. "Of course, it is very good to see you recovering so nicely. I'm very glad." Hora slowly turned, eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily at the bulk of the large and very tall man that had stopped behind her, his hands folded in his sleeves and strong features lined with a long beard, as he smiled at her.

She stiffened, eyes wide and sweatdropping more as she looked up at him, feeling waves of sudden pressure ram into her body suddenly with his presence, mind racing and very caught off guard.

_That... That's...!_

"Oh, Jura-san. We didn't see you there." Sherria smiled, looking unperturbed by his sudden appearance- much in contrast with Hora, who could hardly believe her eyes.

Meeting a Slayer from another Guild is one thing, but a Wizard Saint?!

He just looked down at her, not bothered by her reaction at all, or even her speechless state.

"Now that I've had a better look at you, I do recognize you." He pointed out, she stiffened again. Lyon seemed to blink, eyes narrowed at the comment.

_A Wizard Saint... Recognizes... **Me...?!**_

"R-really..?" She managed to stammer, looking nervous. He nodded slightly,

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you not participate on behalf of SaberTooth the opening year of the Grand Magic Games?" He asked and she blinked, that had been so long ago, she hardly thought on that time, she hardly wanted to. But she was shocked, that Jura of the Wizard Saints had taken notice of her enough to recognize her now after so long... Especially after she hadn't done much in the Games at the time, and never entered them again.

"... Yes. I did." She replied, smiling nervously. "I'm surprised you noticed, or even remembered... I hardly participated in any of the events, and it was awhile back."

"Of course I remember, your battling against those Creatures in the Labyrinth Hunt was quite spectacular- you won that event as I remember it." Jura smirked, she blushed slightly out of embarrassment. "You're Magic as well, it was rather suited to the task- such potent power, that same power that melted all the Candles in the Infirmary, hmm?" He smiled, eyes glinting in amusement as her head fell, shoulders hunching slightly.

"I am very sorry about melting them all... And about the flowers too." She mumbled quietly, he simply let out a laugh, oblivious to the questioning looks he was receiving from those around them in regards to her participation in the Grand Magic Games the first year. The group of Lyon, Tobi, Sherry and Yuka hadn't been present at the Games the first year, and Sherria had yet to join the Guild at the time.

"Don't worry about that, its no real harm," Jura smirked, "Though I do still wonder, since seeing your Magic all those years ago- I am still quite unsure as to what it is specifically?" He went on, Hora blinked, looking a little nervous at the question, sweatdropping slightly, and looking away from him a moment.

"Well... Its actually kind of complicated..." She mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"You needn't tell us if you do not wish to." Jura smiled, catching her off guard by how easily he seemed to push passed the subject, and how he didn't pry. She sort of expected he would... Most people did. He smiled as her eyes landed on him, "That is entirely your business, we will not pry."

For a few moments all she could do was stare, thinking it odd how easily he seemed to sense she wouldn't wish to discuss it, at all. She didn't like talking about her Magic- because deep inside of her, she hated her Magic. And for good reason. She didn't talk about it, and certainly not to strangers... But she smiled at him, happy he seemed to let go easily. And happy he didn't ask anymore, he was a Wizard Saint... It wasn't a wonder he was so perceptive she supposed.

"Thanks." She smiled, earning a nod from him, and a wider smile as well- a SaberTooth wizard who seemed able to say thanks without difficulty or hesitation was a rare thing indeed, Lamia Scale found themselves quickly beginning to like this girl.

"So you've participated in the Grand Magic Games then?" Sherria asked brightly, catching Hora's attention. "Do you plan to participate this year?" She leaned in, looking genuinely interested. Hora smiled, shaking her head a little with a small chuckle.

"Ah, nah... I'm pretty sure it's gonna be the same five we send in every year." She replied, "They're a strong team, I don't think Master would change it unless something important came up."

"They are formidable opponents." Yuka murmured,

"But don't think we're gonna go easy on you this year! We're gonna come out on top!" Tobi broke in hotly, Hora sweatdropped slightly but smiled anyway.

"We're certainly going all in this year." Sherria smiled brightly, "Even Lyon's participating this year." She explained and Hora blinked,

"You're going to be in the Games, Lyon?" Hora murmured, glancing his way. He nodded slightly,

"Yes. Master wants her best Wizards participating this year- we hope to take the top from Saber." He explained and she nodded a little, but blinked in slight surprise.

"So you're one of the top Wizards in Lamia?" She asked; earning a blink from him, and a slightly surprised look. She paused, thinking maybe she had offended him with the question, sweatdropping slightly. "Uh... Sorry. I just don't know a lot about other Guilds or most of their Wizards is all... I've never actually even heard of you..." She nervously tapped her index fingers together in front of her, casting him a small smile in the hopes he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Not so much of a big shot as you think you are, huh Lyon?" Sherry smirked, nudging him with her elbow, eyes glinting in amusement. Sherria beside her chuckled slightly, Lyon frowned slightly, eyes closing and crossing his arms over his chest. Jura let out a hearty laugh, amused by Lyon's a little put down expression, Hora smiled flusterdly.

"Sorry..." She mumbled and Lyon shook his head, brushing her words off as best he could, taking in a breath.

"I am one of the top Mages in Lamia," he replied, "I'm... A little surprised you haven't heard mention of me, but no matter. I don't need all the attention anyway."

"Such a change, from how proud and arrogant he used to be." Yuka murmured lowly, casting the words toward Hora who blinked in slight question.

"Hey!" Lyon snapped, hearing the words and looking a little flusterd suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Hora asked before she could decide against it- she figured it wasn't her business but she couldn't help her curiosity.

"Lyon, Sherry, Toby and I were all working together before joining Lamia Scale. We've known him for a long time, and he's certainly changed over the years." Yuka replied easily,

"So you've been friends a long time." Hora murmured, smiling slightly. "It's great you've managed to stick together," she told them, tilting her slightly though. "What sort of work did you do before Lamia?"

This earned a pause from the group around her, she blinked at the sudden silence, sweatdropping slightly.

"We can get into that later." Lyon spoke up, voice firm and decisive. Hora blinked slowly, nodding a little. "For now, let's just relax."

"Alright..."

They settled down at the bar, Hora took a seat down on the side behind it with Lyon in her left, and Sherria on her right. Yuka, Sherry, and To y down opposite them, while Jura sat not far away from those three, arms in his sleeves and listening in content silence.

"... So what sort of Magic do you use, Lyon?" Hora asked after a moment, a little afraid she may cross into a subject they seemed unwilling to get into- as they had with her earlier question. Maybe it was a bit unfair, considering she hadn't been willing to talk about her own Magic, but she tried anyway.

It was a simple question though- and honestly, she was interested. Considering how cold he was to the touch, she had to guess-

"Ice-Make." He replied, earning a blink from her and a small smile.

"Ah, kinda figured." She chuckled, folding her arms on too of the counter. He blinked, eyebrow quirked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well- you are super freaking cold." She replied lightly, "And you kinda come off as a little frigid at first too.." She chuckled, earning a faint blush of embarrassment from him and laughs from everyone around them.

"Tch..." He grumbled, looking away and crossing his arms over his chest. Hora smiled a little,

"Who else are you sending in to participate in the GMG?" Hora asked, changing the subject as she glanced to everyone else.

"Tobi and I plan on joining." Yuka replied,

"I'm gonna be in it too!" Sherria grinned, Hora smiled back at her.

"I look forward to it. I've always been interested in seeing your Magic up close." Hora told the young girl lightly, earning a blink from her.

"You know what sort of Magic I use?" Sherria asked, Hora nodded a little.

"Yeah. I know a lot about it too, though mostly from Orga." She replied, which was not altogether true... She just knew quite a bit more about all Slayers than most people did- and for this reason she knew who all the Slayers were, and what their Elements were.

"Oh right, he's that man with the Lightning God Slayer Magic, right?" Sherria asked and Hora nodded,

"Yep."

"Jura-San is going to be joining too." Sherria told her, continuing on, Hora blinked in shock, her eyes widening as her attention snapped to said man.

"Wait, seriously?" She asked quickly, Jura nodded, smiling slightly. SaberTooth might actually be in trouble if Jura is joining in this year...

"I wouldn't miss it, not with the excitement Fairy Tail's return will bring." Jura replied, Hora stiffened slightly, interest peeking at mention of the Guild. "SaberTooth won't have only Lamia Scale to worry about his year, I think."

"... I had heard Fairy Tail's Members had come back, after being gone so long." Hora started cautiously- she couldn't let them know she had been involved in any of that. "How are they anyway?"

"They're all fine, we went to visit them shortly after they returned. No one was seriously inured, and they are all glad to be back home, though they are a little behind in the times." Lyon murmured, Hora nodded slightly. That was a bit of an understatement..

"Right, with seven years having gone by none of the members stuck on Tenrou grew any stronger than they were seven years ago." Yuka murmured,

"Which means they've been surpassed in power by nearly all the Mages in all the other Guilds." Sherry sighed,

"But you say it like Fairy Tail plans on joining the Games this year." Hora pointed out,

"They do." Jura smiled,

"Really?" Hora murmured, eyes wide and smiling a little- suddenly a little excited. Her dark blue eyes shone, glinting in excitement and sudden thrill.

She had hoped that the return of those Members lost on Tenrou would ease the pain in the hearts of the Fairy Tailers who had been left, and lived seven long years without their Guild-Mates. Eventually she had hoped that Fairy Tail would rise anew, back to the former glory she knew it had had... But she hadn't honestly expected them to rise up so quickly, nor to even consider doing the GMG.

But hearing that they were going to, that lift her spirits a little- and made her all the more excited to see what they would bring to the table when the time came.

"You seem pleased about Fairy Tail's planned participation." Lyon commented, Hora nodded.

"Why not? I heard Fairy Tail used to be really strong, if they really plan to join in the Games, that just means it'll be more interesting to watch." She grinned,

"Even if that means SaberTooth will have more competition?" Sherry murmured,

Hora smirked, "Nah, I'm counting on it." She beamed, "Fairy Tail used to be one of the number one Guilds, even if they hit a rough patch- their best Members are back now, right? Even having lost all that time, I'm still sure they'll end up surprising everyone." Her eyes shone slightly, everyone around her seemed to blink, a little caught off guard by how much esteem she seemed to put into Fairy Tail- who, as far as they knew, hardly anyone now a days knew anything of, or even paid attention to.

Hora knew very little about Fairy Tail in all reality- she of course had invested herself in helping locate the afore thought 'destroyed' island of Tenrou. She learned of Fairy Tail through that- but most of her focus had always remained on the Slayers. She knew nothing of the other prominent Members, nothing other than they were all very, very strong back in their day- and she hoped they would show how strong they were in the Games. If Fairy Tail were to participate, and shine- it would be a great thing to watch, and not only that- it may help to lighten the hearts of those in Fairy Tail who had been left alone for Seven Years.

Fairy Tail had grown weak and nearly despised over the years, and she knew well that it had suffered a lot... In her own heart she wished that suffering to end. And maybe the GMG would help to make Fairy Tail a shinning, strong Guild again.

Besides, with Fairy Tail intact again- and in the Games, she knew Rogue and Sting are certainly going to be much more invested. After all- when they had been younger they had looked up to two of Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers as Idols, as she very well knew.

"Hmm... Then I suppose we agree with you." Jura smiled slightly, "We ourselves are rather excited in Fairy Tail's planned participation, and I'm sure this years GMG will be one to remember." Hora nodded, still smiling.

"Definitely."

* * *

"You seem to have relaxed."

Hora's eyes moved sideways toward Lyon, who had been sitting beside her in silence for some time now.

Sherry, Sherria, Yuka, Tobi and Jura had moved off- the whole of Lamia Scale becoming a mingling mess of people sharing drinks, laughing and talking to one another on all manner of things. For a very long time she had been talking pleasantly with the small group of all manner of things, though mostly she listened to their stories and what they had to say- quite content with doing just that.

Once they had moved away she had taken to simply watching the mingling among the Lamia Scale Wizards, her arms crossed on the bartop and eyes glinting slightly- nearly enthralled.

Lamia Scale was so warm and peaceful... No one was on edge or looking about around them warily, they are all so at ease... It was nothing like SaberTooth. It reminded her, with a small flash of pain in her heart, what Saber had been before Jiemma.

_Damn that man..._

Her attention and her eyes moved toward Lyon, having been faintly aware he was still sitting beside her, but thinking nothing of it as she was lost in her own thoughts. He gazed at her steadily, as she nodded a little.

"Yeah, I suppose I have." She smiled slightly, he blinked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"... You seem familiar somehow." He said suddenly, catching her slightly off guard. Her head tilted, blinking in question.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure... Its almost like I've seen you before. Just something about your face." He murmured and she sweatdropped slightly, shrugging a little.

"Hmm, well I wouldn't see why." She replied, "I think I would have remembered if we had met before."

"I suppose that's true." He relented, sighing slightly as he seemed to shake the thought off a moment. "... You asked what sort of work that Sherry, Tobi, Yuka and I did before joining Lamina Scale, earlier." He murmured, Hora blinked.

"... I was just wondering. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, that's your business." She told him softly, remembering the way in which he had cut the subject off earlier. He shook his head slightly, letting out a small sigh.

"No, its alright. I don't mind," he replied, "I just didn't want to talk about earlier, because I don't like making them remember things that are painful." His eyes rest on the smiling forms of Sherry, Yuka and Tobi across the hall a moment, suddenly glinting in several different emotions. Hora blinked, eyes slightly wide as she simply gazed at him a long time- recognizing the look, better than she'd like.

It was the look of regret.

"We did some things we regret, they followed me as a leader- though I didn't deserve their loyalty." Lyon murmured, hands folding and eyes falling closed a moment. "For years, they followed my lead in a foolish quest to seek vengeance on a creature that had taken people I loved from me.. A creature that had also destroyed their own lives and families, as it had mine. A quest that eventually lead to us facing people we would have never considered enemies, if I had not been blinded by my own hate and anger." Hora blinked, her ears ringing slightly, easily seeing a look of haunting paws across his face a moment.

_Creature...?_

"... We worked to free a Demon of Zeref from a Seal that had been placed over it, so that I may defeat and kill it to enact my vengeance. It was stupid and foolish, and we would have paid dearly if everything had gone according to plan... If that Demon hadn't been slowly drained of life from the person who sacrificed themselves to Trap it in the first place, if it hadn't been for them... My own Mentor, I would have lead them, myself, and so many others to their deaths." Hora stiffened slightly, sweatdropping a little and eyes shinning.

Lyon's folded hands tightened in a sudden grip, shoulders hunching slightly as his eyes remained fixed to the bar counter firmly.

"I was a different person back then... A worse person than I am now." He mumbled lowly, "Since joining Lamia... I've been working to be better. To try and make up for the mistakes I made, and to be a better friend to them." Hora's expression softened slightly, staying silent a moment- hearing his sincerity clearly.

... She suddenly realized that she and Lyon were rather alike in some ways.

Lyon had done things he regretted to his friends... He lead them into a situation that left them hurting and on the wrong path. He regretted his choices and his past mistakes, and was working hard to try and repay for them... He was haunted, he felt guilty...

_... Damn it... He... He's just like me..._

With Rogue, Sting... With Lector and Frosch. She had made the wrong choice, she had relented to letting them join SaberTooth when she should never have allowed it. She regretted that everyday, and since then had been doing her best to keep them safe- even if that meant she ended up hurting. She felt guilty, she always had...

Her hand gripped the shirt about her chest, eyes falling and sweatdropping a little.

Even more so... She suddenly felt he was more than just guilty, regretful... She had the feeling he was in more pain most of the time than he ever let show. He was sad, and haunted- but he never let anyone see it... Just like she was.

So cold, and empty, and sad and numb... But she never let it show.

Her eyes closed a minute, _maybe... Maybe this is why I warmed up to Lyon quickly..._

_... We're so... Alike... I didn't think I'd get to understanding him hardly at all while I was here in Lamia... Guess I was wrong._

"... I understand, Lyon." She murmured, earning his gaze and surprised look. She smiled softly, "I understand how you feel... We just keep trying to be better, right? That's all we can do, and we do it. You're friends clearly care for you, so maybe you shouldn't worry too much." She smiled a little more, he stared, eyes a little wide and a little taken aback by her sudden understanding of what he said- and how easily she seemed to understand how he felt.

For a small moment he swore... He swore he saw pain and guilt in her eyes too, and haunting. A look he knew, from seeing it in himself.

He nodded, smiling slightly himself. He seemed to know... She did understand, almost too well.

"Right." He agreed, Hora nodded slightly.

"... You mentioned a creature." Hora murmured, suddenly realizing what he said. "A Demon of Zeref...? One that... That destroyed your home? And your... Family?"

Her words dropped suddenly, though Lyon hardly seemed to notice her sudden tenseness. In her mind those words stuck- it pushed past her realization of how similar she and Lyon seemed to be, and despite herself- her heart lurched.

_'Mom?! Dad?! Brother?!'_

She did her best to push the memory of her terrified screaming away, as Lyon nodded to her a little gravely.

"Yes, it's the same with Sherry, Tobi and Yuka as well." Lyon replied, "That Demon destroyed everything we had, we were left alone... I was fortunate enough to be taken in by the woman who taught me my Magic, others were less lucky." He sighed slightly, that haunted look coming back into his eyes a moment as memory seemed to flood his mind.

"... The Demon Deliora. It destroyed our lives, yes... But now it can no longer harm anyone, my Mentor- Ur, she defeated it."

Hora went rigid, her eyes widening and all sense of thought suddenly derailed as her heart began to race, and sudden true and utter panic and terror rushed through her body- as the fiery pain and ache of her long buried memory stormed up again.

_The whole village was in a complete state of panic, of destruction and disarray... Homes and buildings, all those structures she had come to know by heart- they lay in smoldering ruin around her, flames dancing and rubble thrown all about._

_It was a massacre._

_Her family, her brother, her village..._

_... Her eyes moved from the blackened ice and snow, upward as she felt a massive shadow loom over her. Her wide and terrified gaze moved up to see the Beast standing before her, so massive it was it blocked out the sky. Its cold eyes glittering in animalistic rage and malice, her heart stopping and ice running through her veins as she simply remained motionless. She was too terrified to move, or even cry out as one of its clawed hands lift- sharp claws glinting in the fire light._

_She was going to die..._

_It swiped downward, she lift her arms as her eyes shut right in terror- the beasts hand catching her small body and tearing open her skin and muscle and bone with one of the wicked claws, her blood flying into the air and staining the snow- just as hundreds of different scarlet pools already were. The agony that swept through her was gut-wrenching, her vision went black and red at the pain of it tearing across her being, as she was sent flying- her scream of utter pain tearing at the air and her throat._

_She fell abruptly silent as she slammed into the ground, bones cracking. She rolled, coming to a halt, unmoving, unbreathing... A large, deep pool of crimson surrounding her body, the wound deep, bone showing through the shredded skin._

_My... Family... My brother... Dead..._

_... She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava._

_Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding..._

_... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go. She wanted to be let go._

_And for what? What the hell was all this... All this pain and sheer agony, the suffering and the torture for anyway? Why was she being forced to endure it?_

_... The reason... It... It was impossible... She couldn't..._

_"STOP! PLEASE!"_

_"You must... Live! It is up to you... You have to defeat...!"_

_"NO!"_

_To defeat..._

She must have gone very pale, or at least something about her suddenly had Lyon looking stunned, and a little concerned.

Her heart was racing, she was breathing in slightly panicked breaths, her head and eyes falling away from him and locking to the floor, her hands gripping her arms tightly and a large bead of sweat falling down her face.

She hated this.. All this emotion, this fear and terror, all of it flooding back, nearly as fresh and as powerful as they originally were. She hated the memories, the things she wanted nothing more than to forget- and she hated she couldn't stop herself from reacting in this way.

_... Get... Get a hold of... Of yourself... Idiot...!_

Her eyes locked on to the long, jagged scar running up from her wrist, that curled up her arm and over her shoulder- feeling the memory of lava rushing through her, but finding it easier to calm herself down as she gripped her arm tightly, doing her best to force her emotions to still.

_... I can't... I can't let that do that.. To me..._

"Horatia," Lyon's voice broke through the waves of echoing and ghostly screams of terror falling on her ears. He had moved closer, his hand resting gently on her shoulder- she did her best not to stiffen at the contact, feeling a small wave of relief run through her at how cold his skin was, enough to dull the aching memory of fiery agony engulfing her being.

_... Damn it... I'm such a freaking... Coward..._

"... Are you alright?" Lyon asked, his voice serious as Hora took in a small breath, eyes closing as she lift her head a little, nodding once.

"... I'm ok..." She mumbled, one eye opening to cast a glance his way and the confused look he wore, as well as the sudden worry etched on to his face- which she had begun to realize, was mostly always nearly expressionless and neutral. "Sorry... I didn't... I guess I just wasn't expecting that to be your answer." She chuckled lowly, humorlessly and a little nervously.

"... Did... Are you...?" He started slowly, seeming to have a hard time piecing the words together as the look of utter shock took over his features, eyes glinting in sudden understanding and a faint look of recognition. He knew that haunted look that had passed over her face all too well... It was a look he saw in himself, in Sherry, Yuka, Tobi, and Gray.

"... Yeah." She mumbled lowly, smiling a little nervously with a small nod of her head. "... I was really, really young... When Deliora destroyed my village, and my family. I got out," her grip on her arm tightened a little, his eyes flicking toward the long and deep scar.

"... Barely."

Lyon's eyes glittered, sweatdropping a little as concern and a sudden softness took over his features a moment. He never imagined he'd ever run into anyone else whose life Deliora had managed to ravage, let alone someone who seemed... Young.

How old could she have even been? When Deliora...? She was younger than he was, by quite a number of years.

Hora's eyes remained fixed on the bar counter, sweatdropping heavily as they passed into a small strained silence a moment.

_... So Lyon, his friends... All of them, hurt by that monster... Their homes and Families... Gone, just like mine..._

"... I didn't know anybody else managed to survive in that Demon's quake..." She said quietly, eyes dulling a little. "... Especially... Not after knowing my entire village was killed... I thought I was the only one who managed to make it through..."

_... But I never should have._

"... So, you said... Your Mentor, Ur- she defeated Deliora?" Hora asked softly, suddenly changing the subject slightly. Lyon blinked, simply gazing at her and her suddenly haunted and shaken form for a moment, a little unhappy he had brought back whatever awful memories she seemed to be bombarded with at mention of Deliora. He hadn't meant to make her remember such things, not that he had known...

Hora sweatdropped a little more, Lyon tried to beat Deliora... He spent years... She stiffened slightly,

_But, I... I was supposed... That's why... Why I was kept... Alive..._

"Yes." Lyon murmured softly, nearly gently. "She sacrificed herself, to save me, and one of my closest friends. She wore away at Deliora for years, and succeeded in killing it. Deliora is dead, and cannot harm anyone else ever again." He told her, his tone turning to one that seemed like it was meant to be reassuring- but Hora suddenly felt cold, and a little guilty.

_... That purpose... That I was supposed to serve... I failed, and someone else died..._

"... I'm glad." Hora murmured, smiling just slightly as she slowly began to recompose herself- outwardly anyway. She straightened up, glancing toward Lyon and giving him a slightly wider smile, attempting to make him get rid of that concerned look he had placed on her. She didn't want concern, or even pity... She didn't deserve it.

_I completely failed... I ran away. Such a damned coward..._

_... The one thing I was alive for... And I never tried. Damn it..._

"I'm alright, you just caught me off guard." She smiled, head tilting slightly. "But I am glad to hear Deliora is gone, really. I suppose I should thank your mentor for that."

"If you're sure you're alright..." He said slowly, looking a unconvinced. She nodded,

"I'm also glad I ran into you, Lyon. At least now I know about Deliora, and now I know someone else like me." She smiled softly, earning a small blink from him, and a slight nod- a small smile pulling at his lips.

"I'm glad to have met you as well." He replied, she smirked.

"Give it time Ice-Boy, we'll be great friends. Even if you're from Lamia Scale," she chuckled, her seemingly carefree demeanor returning slowly. He blinked at the name, before smirking slightly himself.

"Somehow I don't doubt it." He replied, eyes closing as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Hora's eyes softened slightly, though he didn't see. He really didn't know how quickly it was she warmed up to him, how alike they really were... Or even how much she liked him already, even trusted him.

_I've known Lyon less than a day, and in all the years I've known Sting and Rogue... I have never told them about Deliora, about my family, my home. And I probably never will... But with Lyon, I didn't even hesitate to admit it._

There was a different sort of friendship sparking between herself and Lyon she hadn't been anticipating. It was a surprise... But maybe a pleasant one.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't be staying long. She couldn't... She needed to get back to SaberTooth, lest Master start to get angry again. And we saw where that got her last time.

"Lyon, do you happen to have a pen and paper?" She asked suddenly, earning a questioning blink from him. She smiled, "I figure I might as well try to get a hold of my Guild Mates, let them know I'm ok." She explained, though vaguely. He paused a moment, before shrugging a little and nodding.

"Give me a moment, I might know where to find some..." He murmured, climbing to his feet and turning away. Hora smiled, but turned away from him and clapped her hands lightly in front of her, bowing her head so her forehead brushed against her pressed together hands, eyes falling closed.

_Thank you, Ur... I never knew you, but you have done what I never could... What I failed to do, was to afraid to try... What I ran away from. Rest in peace, you have most definitely earned it... You are truly strong, stronger than I can ever hope to be... Thank you._

Lyon glanced back, seeing Horatia clap her hands in front of her, blinking slightly at the small gesture a moment- but not questioning it.

He returned shortly, paper and pen in hand as he handed it to her- Hora's eyes opened as he approached, and she smiled at him.

"Thanks." She grinned, taking the materials as he settled down next to her again.

"What do you need them for?" He asked, just as she but the cap the pen and pulled it off, then settled the paper in front of her. "Surely you don't think a letter will reach your Guild-Mates.. Wherever it is they are."

"Nah, nof a letter." She murmured about the cap in her teeth. "Somefin a little differen."

He watched silently, almost in awe as she quickly set to work marking across the paper with delicate, precise strokes. Working away to create the form of a small, finely etched bird upon the paper, the lines smooth and entirely artful. He stared, slightly taken aback by her sudden artistic talent.

"Impressive, I had no idea you could draw." He murmured,

"You coulf probably do better, Maker Magic an' all." She smiled, but blushed slightly anyway. She replaced the cap back on the pen and held the paper in her hand, lightly placed between her index and middle fingers. "It'll do anyway,"

"Do for what?" He asked,

"Yeah, what are you up too, Horatia?" Their attentions turned to the appearance of Sherria; who they hadn't noticed approach them until that moment.

"... I guess you could call it a form of Picto Magic." Hora murmured,

"Should you really be using Magic?" Lyon asked,

"Yeah, I'm not sure using Magic is a good idea." Sherria murmured softly, Hora shook her head.

"No, its fine. Its a simple Spell, besides- I feel perfect." She replied, sending them a slightly reassuring smile. She didn't feel 'perfect', that was a lie... But she didn't feel awful either. And she needed Rogue and Sting to know she was up and awake,

Her thoughts faintly flashed to waking up, that night with Rogue beside her... And she remembered what she said.

_They're gonna ask questions..._

"Don't worry about it. I really will be fine," she murmured, seeing them looking a little unconvinced, but they didn't argue.

Her eyes fell closed, warmth pulsing into her hand as she concentrated on the paper, feeling a sudden flash of fiery hot press against her skin in her upper arm- to which she knew was suddenly sporting a strange black marking, of which Lyon and Sherria blinked at with wide, questioning eyes.

The paper in her hand was suddenly engulfed in light, nearly shimmering gold flame- she didn't flinch nor give any notice of the flames licking at her fingers and hand. The paper was eaten away by the fire, but the flames kept away from the lines of the bird she had drawn- eating everything but the illustrated animal- Sherria and Lyon watched in silence and curiosity.

There was bright yellow orange flash and suddenly Hora's hand fell away, the illustration puffing up into substance, the wings beating as she now suddenly alive bird flapped in air before Hora, its wings dancing with small flames and embers that refused to eat away its still paper body. Hora's dark blue gaze opening to rest on it with a small smile.

"Hello again, Drille." She said softly,

"Hello Miss!" The bird chirped back happily. "What may I do for you today?" Drille asked, Lyon and Sherria seemed slightly awestruck, unsure as to what it was or even what sort of Magic that had been.

"Please find Rogue and Sting, would you?" Hora murmured, leaning her elbows against the bar as the black marking on her arm faded entirely. "Let them know I'm alright, and tell them to hurry their asses the hell up." She smirked, earning a nod from the paper bird.

"Right away Miss!" Drille sped off from the hall and out of sight quickly, as Hora smiled slightly at its retreating form.

"Wow..!" Sherria grinned, eyes glinting. "That was really cool!" She beamed, earning a smile from Hora.

"Such an odd Magic..." Lyon murmured under his breath, too low for Hora too hear him. What was it though?

Hora smiled shyly at Sherria, who still beamed about the small display like a child would. "Ah, it wasn't that cool..." She murmured,

"It totally was! Nearly as cool as love~"

Lyon's eyes narrowed, seeing Hora smile at Sherria softly, calmly... Again he was hit by the sense; she somehow seemed familiar. But still, he wasn't sure why.

With a small shake of his head he pushed the thought away, Horatia would be on her way back to Saber Town soon he was sure. A part of him was a little unhappy with it- he did enjoy her company, and hoped he would see her again soon.

He smirked slightly, perhaps at the Grand Magic Games? To which Fairy Tail, SaberTooth, Lamia, Pegasus, and all the strongest Guilds would be going head to head... It was sure to be exciting.

His last lingering thought before he joined in the small conversation that had cropped up between Hora and Sherria, was that of those who survived Deliora... To which Horatia belonged.

_I wonder... Are there any others we don't know about..?_


	5. I'm Not

**Chapter 5**   
**I'm Not**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:** **.**

"Thank you so much again, for everything." Hora murmured softly, dipping her head to the small group of Lyon, Sherria, Jura and Lamia's Master- Oobaba, standing before her just outside the front doors to the Guild Hall.

"Certainly." Jura smirked,

"Just don't think this means Lamia will be going easy on Saber during the GMG, or I'll spin you!" Oobaba murmured a little hotly, finger twirling in the air before her.

"Y.. You are spinning me..." Hora stammered, the world around her whirling as the Lamia Scale's Master put her Magic to work suddenly.

"Master, please stop that." Lyon and Sherria said at once, Hora took a small step sideways to steady herself as the spinning stopped, mind whirling and a little off balance.

Hora let out a small sigh, waiting for the world to quite spinning before looking back up toward the group, dipping her head slightly.

"Thanks," she murmured to Lyon and Sherry, smiling a little. "I suppose I'll be seeing you all at the GMG, hmm?" She smirked,

"We'll look forward to it!" Sherria grinned,

"It'll always be a pleasure to be in your company again." Jura smiled, earning a fint blush of embarrassment from Hora.

"Its was nice meeting you all, I had fun. I'd love to hang out again sometime too." She replied, honestly she would- being in Lamia... It hadn't been all that bad.

The sun had long set behind the roofs of the town as day drew to an end and night began to fall. Drille had returned a few hours ago with word that Sting and Rogue were on their way back, and should reach Margret town by nightfall. She'd been allowed the entire day with Lamia and it's members- and she had to admit it had been considerably enjoyable. (Barring the conversation about Deliora...)

She and Lyon, they were fast friends... The sort of fast friends she had become with Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch. You just sort of... Clicked.

Lyon took a step forward toward her, making Hora blink in slight confusion at his sudden movement. His dark eyes landed on her figure, a small, nearly unnoticeable smile pulling at his lips as he stepped up beside her.

"Allow me to escort you some of the way," he murmured, Hora blinked a few times, before smirking softly.

"If you wanted to walk with me that bad you could have just asked, Ice-boy." Hora chuckled softly, he sweatdropped, clearing his throat awkwardly and looking flustered at the teasing. Hora shook her head slightly and hooked her arm in his, a shiver running up her spine at how frosty he was to the touch, in contrast with her warm person.

"Come on," she murmured, Lyon nodded slightly, she cast a glance over her shoulder toward the small group standing before the doors, smiling softly. "Thank you again, I'll see you at the Grand Magic Games!"

"We look forward to it." Jura smiled,

"Have fun! Please do be careful, Hora! I don't want you getting hurt again, ok?!" Sherria called, grinning as she waved in a nearly child like manner.

"I will, Sherria." Hora called back, pulling slightly on Lyon as they began to head up the street.

Sherria let out a sigh, blue eyes glinting as her head tilted, her hand holding her cheek, a small smile pulling at her lips. "Ah, the power of love~"

Hora and Lyon moved away down the street, Hora smiling softly as she kept her arm hooked in Lyon's, very aware he seemed rather flustered with it- she found it amusing.

"Lyon," Hora murmured, her dark blue gaze trailing to the cobblestone and brick they traveled over. "... There was something I'd like to ask of you, if that's alright."

He blinked, glancing sideways to see her eyes fixed to the ground. "Hmm?"

Hora sweatdropped slightly, eyes closing a moment as she took in a small breath- how was she supposed to ask this? Get him to understand without letting him know too much?

"... SaberTooth... My Master... He cares about the Guild's reputation quite a lot. Should he hear that I, Rogue or Sting received help from you all in Lamia Scale... He would not take to it kindly." Hora started slowly, "... I really do appreciate all the help you guys gave me, but it'd be best if Master didn't find out about any of this." She tapped her index fingers together lightly, her dark blue gaze shifting up toward him nervously.

For a few moments he simply looked at her with that expressionless face he seemed prone to wearing, he seemed searching though... Like he was trying to understand why it was he could see a nervous light deeper than discomfort shining in her eyes. Why he could see something more deep, more painful and dark than just being concerned her Guild's reputation would take a blow.

He knew enough of the SaberTooth Guild Master to know he was a crude man, and believed very easily that he would care about Saber's reputation. He figured that yes- he would be angry, but enough to have Horatia looking at him with what he could only describe as deeply hidden.. Fear.

"... I was hoping that maybe... You could try and keep all of this quiet..?" She mumbled, nearly hopefully, her eyes glinting.

Why does she seem... Afraid..?

He slowly nodded, he had the feeling she wouldn't appreciate him pressing her for what she seemed to be hiding when she asked him to do this- to which she certainly wasn't telling the full truth. He wouldn't get it, nobody did- they never understood Jiemma and his cruelty. And she figured (and feared...) no one ever would know..

"If you're concerned about it, I will certainly do my best to keep our assisting SaberTooth out of the Limelight." He replied softly with a small nod to her, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

Hora smiled softly, almost in relief- and again he was struck with the feeling of familiarity.

"Thank you, Lyon." She murmured softly, her voice wispy as she let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding.

_You have no idea how much that means... And you never will._

"Do be careful, won't you?" He murmured and she blinked up at him, he had settled her with a steady look, a serious look so suddenly.

"... Hmm...?"

"We're a lot alike, you and I." He murmured, suddenly giving the same thing she had thought. "Enough that I can see you're keeping things buried, painful things." She sweatdropped, her eyes suddenly dropping away from him. "I don't ask you share, you don't need to. I just ask that you do try and keep yourself safe, alright? Whatever happened to put you in such a state as you were when you were brought here- that was serious. I'd ask you try to keep that from happening again, alright?" He murmured softly,

"... We've known eachother for a very short time, I know. It makes little sense me to be asking you this." Lyon sighed, "But still, be careful."

Hora sweatdropped, she hadn't been expecting that- at all.

_Did he... Does he somehow know... We lied...?_

She nodded slightly, deciding it best to not wonder over it- and smiled just for a small fraction of a second.

"I'll try." She mumbled, "... You aren't all frigid an emotionless after all, Ice Boy..." She smirked slightly, her time lightening as he sighed at the nickname she seemed to have decided on adopting for him.

_... No promises._

"Atia!"

Their attentions snapped forward to the voices suddenly shouting from up ahead- sounding frantic and relieved all at the same time. They came to a stop, blinking in slight surprise to see the two blurs of red and pink rushing toward them- those of Lector and Frosch as they barreled straight into Horatia with enough force to knock her completely off balance. She stumbled back a few steps and managed to remain standing,

Her arms wrapped around them as they buried themselves in her chest, tears in their eyes and on the edge of sobbing in Frosch's case. Hora winced slightly at the stab of pain that shot through her chest at the tough contact, and had to swallow hard and concentrate not to start coughing.

"Lector, Frosch..." She mumbled, dark blue gaze glittering slightly. Beside her, Lyon stepped sideways to avoid being bumped into as she stumbled, blinking in slight shock at the sudden arrival of the two Exceeds, but smiling faintly when she saw the relief across their features.

"We've missed you so much!" Lector grumbled, pointing a paw at her with a somewhat frustrated expression, somewhat happy at the same time. "Sting and Rogue-kun have been itching to hear from you! And see if you were ok!"

"Fro wonders, is Atia alright?" Frosch mumbled uncertainly,

Hora nodded to the both of them, smiling just slightly herself and sweatdropping a little. "I'm ok, I'm sorry for worrying you guys." She murmured softly, rubbing the tops of their heads affectionately a moment.

"Hora!"

Her eyes moved up the street, seeing Sting and Rogue standing there, expressions neutral and presences beckoning. Hora blinked, eyes softening slightly- she knew they were probably itching to run to her, start asking questions and all manner of things, but they kept their cool when they saw Lyon beside her. _The act..._

"Lets get going!" Sting called, expression neutral and tone kinda gruff. Lyon glanced up the street, eyes narrowing slightly at the less than joyous reaction from the two men toward their Guild-mate, who had previously been grievously injured.

"Quite the welcoming party..." Lyon mumbled lowly, Hora sighed slightly.

"They really aren't as bad as you think," she told him softly, he blinked at her but didn't look entirely convinced. She smiled slightly anyway, letting Frosch and Lector go as they floated beside her a moment. She lightly tapped her fist against his shoulder in a friendly manner, grinning as her blue gaze glittered in sudden lightness. "Its been nice hanging out with you, Ice-Boy. Hopefully I'll see you again soon, huh?" She smiled as he smiled back, nodding to her.

"I hope we do." He replied, Hora lift her fist in front of her, smiling as he blinked- before shaking his head and lightly tapping his own fist against hers- all too aware of the piercing stares he received on his back from the Twin Dragons up the street at such a familiar gesture. "It'll be good to see you again, I look forward to it. Please do be careful, and get back safely, alright?" Hora nodded,

"You got it." She replied, stepping back from him and waving a hand.

"See ya, Lyon!" She called behind her as she headed up the street quickly toward Sting and Rogue, Lector and Frosch following closely.

Hora stepped up in between the awaiting figures of Sting and Rogue- her eyes not meeting theirs as she passed them by without a word, though she could feel their eyes on her. She kept on forward, rounding a corner in the road and leaving Lyon behind- a heavy silence falling on the group of Saber Wizards as they followed her lead through the darkening town,

For a long while none of them said anything at all, but she could feel the tension growing thicker and thicker by the minute- along with a growing sense of apprehension.

They were gonna want answers... Answers she may not be willing to give.

"Hora." Sting grumbled, she slowly came to a halt, her back turned to them and eyes closed. She could hear they halted behind her as well,

"Listen, you guys..." She mumbled, her voice low and tone suddenly weary. She slowly began to turn toward them, eyes still cast to the ground. "I know there's thing-" she was cut off suddenly, eyes growing wide as she stumbled backward a bit.

Rogue and Sting rushed forward, wrapping their arms about her a person as they each tucked their chins into either side of her neck and shoulders, holding to her tightly as she blinked in utter shock at the unexpected embrace.

"U..uh...?" She stammered slightly, unable to move as they held her tightly with no intention of letting go anytime soon.

* * *

 

_"Horatia! Hey!"_

_She turned about toward the voice calling behind her, seeing the bright and smiling figure of Sting running to catch up toward her on the top most rise of the hill she stood upon- Lector's smirking form beside the White Dragon Slayer as they continued forward. Behind Sting she caught sight of Rogue, smiling softly as he ran slower- but not enough to get left behind, Frosch beside him._

_She smiled brightly, hands on her hips and hip cocked slightly as she waited for them to catch up- her teeth flashing in the warm sunlight overhead, her orange, red, pink and black hair shinning in the sunlight bathing over them- the small breeze dancing across her skin._

_"Hey you four." She grinned as they caught up to her, her heart dancing slightly to see the excitement dazzling their eyes. "Come to join me on my mission?"_

_"You bet!" Sting smirked, fists clenching in excitement before him._

_"I bet Sting-kun will do better than anyone else!" Lector smirked,_

_"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch lift a paw with an innocent smile,_

_"If you'd have us, that is." Rogue murmured, Hora chuckled._

_"Of course, dumbass." She smirked, laughing a little at the stricken look she received from Rogue- noticing that Sting laughed along with her. She hooked an arm around Rogue's shoulders, pulling him to her and smiling all the way- pulling an arm around Sting's shoulders too, holding them both close, her smile never fading as Frosch and Lector looked on with smiles of their own._

_Hora smiled at the two of them, her dark blue gaze sparkling in happiness and delight- the sort of which she hadn't had since before they joined SaberTooth alongside her. They made her happy, more than she could have ever hoped for- and it was her happiness with them beside her she cherished more than they could ever possibly know._

_"What sort of mission would it be without my four favorite people?" She smiled, earning a bright beaming grin from Sting, and a softer, but none the less happy smile from Rogue._

* * *

_Do you feel that?_

_That warmth... Not fire, but warmth, slowly melting the numbness..?_

Hora's eyes fell closed, the sudden emergence of that long ago memory slowly fading as she pushed it away- and the present came back to focus, the hold that Sting and Rogue kept on her never ceasing.

_That warmth... I always feel it when I'm with them..._

She sweatdropped slightly,

_... I'd almost forgotten what that feels like..._

_... Sting..._

_... Lector... Frosch..._

_... Rogue... Please..._

_... Forgive me..._

"None of it is your fault, Hora." She stiffened, her eyes snapping open be sweatdropping heavily at the sudden words, her eyes shifting sideways toward Rogue- who had breathed the words in her ears softly.

"Please don't ever blame yourself for any of the things Master has done, being in the Guild with you has been all we could ever ask for- we wouldn't ever give it up. Not over anything." Sting murmured softly, she felt his hold grow tighter on her a moment. "If you're hurting, tell us. You don't have to hide."

_You... You damned idiots..._

She shut her eyes tight, fighting down the sudden surge of emotion threatening to send her crashing down. They didn't get it, but she could hear how hurt they were in their voices, how worried and exhausted they were. It broke her heart hearing them like that, and it shattered into millions of pieces at their words though she tried very hard to keep that from happening.

They wouldn't understand it, because she couldn't explain any of it to them. She couldn't explain why she was a slave to Jiemma, she couldn't even explain what Over-Drive really was... Because for as long as they had known her, they never really knew her. And that hurt so much.

They would ask, they had right to ask- and yet it wouldn't make any difference, because she could never tell them everything. She couldn't explain everything... And part of the reason she couldn't was fear, fear and shame.

And she would always blame herself for what Jiemma had done, for the ways he had hurt them, caused them pain- because that was on her, and it always would be no matter what they said otherwise.

_It is my fault._

She scrunched her eyes closed harder, biting her lip as she fought to keep her body from trembling, fought to keep the prick of incoming tears away. She couldn't break apart, she had to stay together as much as she could, she had to... _I can't fall apart, if I do... I'm never gonna be able to put myself back together again._

_So hide, don't fall apart... You can't._

Hora pulled backward, a little forcefully when she felt neither Sting nor Rogue were looking to let go.

She stepped back, putting some distance between herself and them- it felt like a million miles as she worked to keep the breaking pieces from falling away into nothing. She ran a hand through her hair, her head hanging and face tilted to the ground, taking in quick, deep breaths a moment.

"Hora..." Sting and Rogue said in unison, they're voices low.

"... Please, what happened?" Sting pressed softly, "Something changed, when Master went after you... Why did he? What did you do to make him so angry?"

"And what is it you haven't been telling us?" Rogue murmured, recalling her words when she had woken up and they had been alone. "... You told us to run, and that you couldn't leave."

"We need to know, we have to... We don't want to be kept on the dark, especially not if you're in pain. We're your best friends, you shouldn't have to hide anything from us." Sting murmured, Hora's fingers gripped at the shirt about her chest tightly, jaw clenching as she continued to look at the ground and not at them.

"Please, just talk to us, Hora."

Her teeth grit more, jaw tense and fingers clutching her shirt so firmly her hand started to tremble, a sudden flare of deep pain throbbing in her heart.

Fire again... An still so numb, like ice. Cold, seething ice and fire flowing, her emotions running toward a high as she struggled to keep herself together _...,_

"What am I supposed to say?!" She snapped, her head snapping up toward them and deep blue eyes blazing in sudden cold fury. The four of them flinched, eyes wide and sweatdropping at the sudden rage they hadn't been expecting, at all. Her hand swiped away from clutching her chest and out to the side in a heated manner, face pulled into a glare that was pure anger, but hidden underneath it was all the agony.

"How am I supposed to explain any of it to you?! How am I supposed to get you to understand how I've been feeling all these years?! All these years I've spent under Jiemma's hold, these years I've been afraid and in so much pain all I could do was smile and act like nothing was wrong?!" She stomped a foot down hard enough to crack the pavement, her voice rising ever higher as her anger spilled over in heights they had never witnessed before, all four of them staring and jaws dropped.

"Jiemma owns me! I can't leave because he'll never let me go, and why would he?! All he cares about is goddamned power, and I am all the power he ever wanted! Its been that way for years! I can't leave, and for it you idiots _can!_ I have been the one thing standing between that bastard and you for years now! He's tried to own you, so many times over- but I've always worked to keep it from happening! And I can't tell you how or even why he owns me- because if I do I know you two are gonna do something stupid and get yourselves killed! And I couldn't take that!"

There was a sudden rush of heat that flowed over the space, Hora's hands clenching into fists at her sides as she shook her head furiously, she didn't care that her Magic was going to get out of hand. Lector and Frosch stared with wide, fearful eyes and Rogue and Sting looked simply dumbfounded, their eyes glittering.

"My life has been complete and utter shit all this time, and the only good things have been _you!_ I can't lose you, and I can't break! If I let myself go, and let you see how much of a wreck I am, what a huge mess and twisted mass of wickedness that there is inside of me, you wouldn't ever look at me the same way again! I can't even tell you what I did that made Jiemma go after me, because I'm worried you're too far gone under his tyranny that you'd think I was an idiot, or hate me for doing what is the _right thing!_ You two act like such jerks and bastards so often now around other people I'm afraid you've changed, and that you'd react the same way Jiemma did! Its because of how much he's changing you, how much he's hurting you- that's why I want you to leave! There's nothing I want more than you happy, and you and be that with me- _because I can't leave SaberTooth!"_

Her eyes flashed in pure, unbridled pain and anger, a sudden burst of flame rising around her, the hot air ramming into them as making them back up.

"Damn it, just leave! You can't be happy here, you and be happy with me! I'd rather live in agony and loneliness for the rest of my days than let you get hurt at that bastard Jiemma's hands again! Go! Leave me and don't come back!"

She was crying now, the tears spilling past her furious glare to roll down her cheeks, singing off as heat engulfed the area tenfold.

They looked horrified, they looked like she had ripped their hearts out- and she probably had done something like that _...,_

_... But I can't._

Hora took in a small sigh, her thoughts returning to the present. Those are the things she wished she would say, she oh so wanted to, she could feel that anger and hurt swirling deep inside- but she pushed it away.

_I wish I could tell you guys... For years I have wanted to... But I've never been able to._

"... Its not that simple." She murmured softly, earning blinks of confusion from them. "... I can't just find a way to tell you, to explain it to you... I never have been able and I really doubt I'll ever find a way to explain it. Its harder than you realize, its been hard.. Long before I ever met you guys."

She glanced up at them, blue eyes glittering and expression so nearly forlorn and exhausted they felt their hearts clench.

"You guys can tell me nothing's my fault, you can keep telling me you'll listen and you'll let me lean on you, but it's not that easy," she sighed, eyes closing as she shook her head slightly. "... I love all of you, I really do. I know I can lean on you, I know you'll listen and try to understand as best you can... And I appreciate you all so much more than you've ever realized."

_... You four gave me a reason to keep going, and you never knew it._

"... But I knew when I met you, I should have kept you from SaberTooth- but I didn't. So that is on me, no matter what you say otherwise." They frowned slightly, looking ready to protest but she didn't give them time to speak up. "Things were complicated long before I met you, and they remain that way. So much so, that when I tell you I can't leave the Guild- please know it's the truth, and that I can't explain that to you two either."

_... If I told you... I know you, and you'd do something brash, and then you'd both end up dead..._

"But Hora..." Sting mumbled, "... You can't keep living in secrets, that's no way of living."

"You shouldn't have to feel like you can't explain it to us." Rogue said, his tone slightly firm. "... We want to help you."

"I know." She replied softly, "... If there's anything I can really say, its this." She clapped her hands in front of her softly, a small weary smile pulling at the edge of her lips as small glittering droplets of moisture pecked at the corners of her eyes. "I need you two to understand things aren't as easy as saying you don't have to hide and that it'll be ok, I need you to understand that even if you keep asking me to open up, it's not going to happen. At least not for a long while, and more than anything I just need you to accept it. And know this."

"If you really want to help me, don't let this change things. I need you all to just keep on like we've been, I need you not to treat me like some broken object that needs to be handled with care, I need you to just be _you._ " They stared in shock, eyes wide and sweatdropping as her tears spilled over.

"What has really made things better, and made me feel so much more hopeful in the future- the only thing that has kept me together and made me feel good, has been knowing and sharing these years with you." Her voice hitched slightly at the end, still managing to smile though her tears flowed faster. "You all are what makes things better for me, just knowing you're happy, so please... Just don't change that, ok? I want you guys happy and safe more than anything, so please do that? For me?"

They'd never seen this... It was as if they could just see how much pain there was swirling around inside of her, so much that it nearly spilled over, all in that one moment, though she kept herself together- only just slightly. It was exactly the sort of pain they hadn't ever noticed before, the same failure to see that made them regret it all the more. How was it they had been so blind to this? To not realize Hora had been hiding all of this pain for so, so long?

She was barely keeping herself from falling apart, those cracks and chips that had failed to break were giving way, even as she fought so hard to keep the pieces together.

She'd always been so happy, so content. She'd always been kind and caring for them, always there to hear their troubles, she had stuck with them through all their own pain and sadness- and never gave any indication of her own, or how deep it ran. She'd always seemed _fine.._.

This hurt, seeing her like this was painful. They could hardly bear it, and they hated themselves all the more for never being as good a friend to her as she had been for them.

How could the only thing that made her happy, have failed to comfort her like they should have?

They almost lost her, she nearly died- and she would have died without them ever knowing how she had always felt, without ever knowing how much pain she had been hiding. She could have died, as they would have remained as blind as they seemed to have always been.

And all that dread and fear and worry they had been feeling for the last few weeks since Jiemma had attacked her suddenly hit a high, it all amplified and became so much worse as they realized the full extent of how hurt she was. They nearly lost her, and they were still losing her.

Her shoulders hunched slightly, her smile growing more strained by the minute as her eyes closed.

"Please..?" She asked quietly, her voice starting to shake. She let out a strained chuckle that sounded choked. "Come on y-you guys... I'm barely keeping it together here, just a-answer the question already, this is already hard enough..." Her body was trembling too, her knees threatening to give out. She had felt so much better after waking up, thanks to Sherria's Magic. But now, now as she fought to stay together, she felt her strength waning again and a sharp pain flared in her chest at the sheer stress and strain she was being put through with saying all this.

Over-Drive still wasn't done with her, even despite Sherria's Healing Magic, if she didn't get a grip and calm down she was likely to cause a reaction to flare up, and she'd be in a world of hurt again. But she couldn't help it, she never thought she'd be here in this situation, she never thought the day would come when she would be talking about this with them, when she'd be so close to breaking they'd see how much of a shattered mess she was. She'd never wanted them to see this, and she hated it now but her emotion was running too wild and too violently. She couldn't hardly keep herself from falling apart, she was crumbling by the second. And the longer there remained silence between them, the harder it was to keep standing.

Her eyes shut, the tears spilling faster as her pressed together hands folded in on themselves, tight and gripping at her shirt as if she was holding on for dear life.

_You told yourself... You weren't gonna... Fall apart... Damn it..._

Silence stretched to a million miles between herself and them, and they didn't know what to do.

Hora took in a sudden breath, trying to calm down a little- only to have the air hitch in her throat painfully and cause her to start coughing. Her hand moved up to cover her mouth, her legs giving out as she fell to her knees and her body shook painfully. Sting and Rogue stiffened, eyes growing wide and sweatdropping heavily as she suddenly fell.

"Hora!"

They bent down beside her, Sting's hands resting on her shoulder and lower back as she tried to stifle her sudden coughing.

_Over-Drive... God damn it!_

"Easy, easy Hora.." Sting grumbled softly,

"Tch... You're still in bad shape, please just try and calm down..." Rogue told her softly, Hora gasped slightly, chest heaving a little as the coughing ceased and she swallowed at the faint metallic taste in her throat, her eyes closed and tears spilling onto the ground underneath her. Lector and Frosch moved up, climbing into her lap and pressing against her stomach, ears dropped against their heads and eyes wide and concerned.

"... I'm sorry..." She stammered softly, her hand moving to clutch the shirt about her chest as she winced slightly at the sudden stab of pain that ran through her. "... I didn't want... To fall apart like this... I shouldn't be... I know its not good for..." She cringed, teeth gritting and eyes scrunching closed in pain.

"Hora...?!" Rogue and Sting asked quickly, seeing the pain on her face and hearts leaping.

"Hey! What's the matter?" Sting asked quickly, Hora took in a small, slow sigh, wincing again and shaking her head slightly.

"... I mentioned it... I..." She mumbled breathlessly. Her thoughts flashed back to her waking up when Rogue was with her. They both stiffened, eyes glinting in sudden recognition.

"... Over-Drive...?" They stammered lowly,

"... Wha... Wait, I thought that Sherria kid healed you...?!" Sting stammered quickly, Hora smiled a little ruefully.

"... Its not... Its just cause... I'm freaking... Out..." She huffed breathlessly, still holding her chest.

Over-Drive wasn't something that could be just 'healed'. Sherria's Magic could wane its effects and its hold over her, but it was still there, it was always there, it just flared up at times- especially under times of great physical stress and pain, as well as emotional. And she was such a mess right now, and it being so soon after what Jiemma did, it was getting worse by the second.

"Tch... I... i..." She hissed, cringing more and nearly doubling over at the pain. She felt Frosch and Lector hold her tighter,

_... Its getting cold, right there... At my center..._

She stiffened, eyes snapping open and blurry from her tears as she felt Rogue and Sting wrap her in their arms for the second time that day. They held her close, pulling her into them and burying her among their interlocked arms, Frosch and Lector holding tighter to her stomach and trembling against her...

... And suddenly, everything was warm.

It wasn't the same heat that danced off her skin always, it wasn't the same fire that raged in her core all the time, it wasn't fever, it wasn't even pain... It was just warmth. It was... It felt so good, so very good against her heart, and her core enveloped on the deepest ice.

"You're gonna be fine," Sting told her softly, "Everything is gonna be fine, Hora."

"... Nothing's going to change. We love you, and we'll always be happy, together, with you." Rogue murmured softly, his tone growing slightly flinty at the assertion of 'you'. "... Nothing's going to change, Hora. We'll stick with you, through everything. Don't doubt it."

"Just know you don't have to hide anymore. We've not been the best friends to you that we should have been, so we're the sorry ones." Sting murmured.

"We'll do better, be better. So you don't have to keep hiding your pain, not anymore." Rogue murmured gently,

"We love you, we always will."

_... Is it possible...?_

_... That... It hurts less...?_

She couldn't sop crying, she felt herself keep crumbling in their arms, but somehow it didn't hurt that much anymore. The pain in her chest died a little, and she just buried her face in their bodies, body shaking, exhausted and frayed... But it felt better.

_Those... They told me... What I wanted to hear._

She couldn't help it, her mind be seeing on pain and exhaustion as she gasped and cried, mumbling 'I'm sorry' over and over, and they never said anything. They just kept holding her, they didn't ask questions she thought they would, they just kept her warmer than she had ever felt- warmer than her Magic even seemed to keep her.

_I... I know they said things won't change... But I know better than that. They can't see me like this and not change... But they want to do better... Idiots._

_... They were always the best. Always._

At some point exhaustion hit her like a train, as her tears ceased and her body began to lose all strength, her mind teetering on the edge of darkness again.

_... I wonder, brother..._

Sting and Rogue pulled back a little, eyes glittering on the starlight overhead as they sat still in the empty street. Hora blinked, slowly rubbing her eyes and shaking her head to try and clear the drowsiness.

"Sorry..." She smiled weakly, "... I'm a mess, hmm?" She chuckled, their gazes glinted in sadness and worry.

"... I'm ok for now." She murmured, hand resting lightly on her chest. "... You two managed to calm me down, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Hora..." Rogue murmured, "... Over-Drive...?"

"... Can we just... Go home? For now?" She asked softly, "I'll... Try to explain what it is... But for now, I'm just exhausted..." Rogue seemed to sigh internally, both he and Sting exchanging glances.

They nodded, half heartedly.

Hora smiled weakly, giving Lector and Frosch a squeeze when she glanced down to see their worried eyes.

_... I hate to worry them like this._

"Alright, we can go home." Sting nodded.

"Thanks..." She smiled, Lector and Frosch climbed from her lap as she started to get up.

Her eyes snapped up, seeing Rogue and Sting standing with their hands out toward her, eyes shining in the starlight and faces neutral, calm.

_Brother... This feeling I have..._

She slowly took their hands, as they easily pulled her to her feet and she let her eyes close a moment. There still a small smile creasing her tired, frayed expression.

_... I haven't felt it in a long time._

Her head tilted back, blue eyes opening to rest on the moon overhead, its silver rays glinting off her multicolored strands of hair, the stars reflected in her gaze.

_... Its like the ice melted, just a little. And the fire became... More tame..._

Her eyes narrowed slightly, seeing a sudden flash across the sky, a star falling from the heavens and leaving a dusty trail in its quake.

_Brother... Could it be... That this is... The start...?_

A chill breeze blew over the town, her hair whipped back by it's cool embrace,

_... Or is the something... Like the end...?_

She sighed, wincing at the stab of pain that reared in her chest again. She turned an exhausted smile on Sting, who sweatdropped slightly but seemed to get the point without asking.

He gently picked her up in his arms, something that on any other day, any regular day before all of this- it was something they would never do. Hora hooked her arms around his neck lightly, she very much knew she wouldn't be walking anywhere now, her strength all spent and mind fighting to stay awake. And she'd hate to pass out while walking and give them another scare... They were worried enough.

_I didn't want them to see me like this, because I know they'll look at me differently from here on. I didn't want them to see how broken I was, but I guess there was no running from this... Damn it... I'm just not who you think I am, I've never really been the person you've known all these years. I'm not strong, I'm not brave, I'm weak, a coward... and I'm much less human than you even realize._

Her head rest against his chest and shoulder lightly, her mind teetering on the edge of sleep ever more, as for a moment her dark blue gaze locked with Rogue's red one. He was so tired, so strained and so bent up with worry and fear she could see it written all over his form. He looked awful, Sting did too, so did Lector and Frosch, and it was all because of her. For them... Her best friends in all the world, the four people she'd ever consider family...

_I am so sorry._


	6. What Am I Gonna Do?

**Chapter 6**   
**What Am I Gonna Do?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:** **.**

_It was a very long time ago that I could ever consider things to be simple... It was long before I had Magic, long before I became this person that walks the earth like a twisted shell of a human. An icy cold forlorn figure that somehow finds a way to burn like a raging inferno. I feel like I've been wondering between hell and purgatory for so long..._

. _.. Things were easier before I became this. Before that beast. Before everyone... Everyone died._

_Things were simpler before this happened, before Jiemma went after me, before Over-Drive managed to snap its jaws on to me, and Rogue and Sting were around to see it. They had to deal with it, deal with me like that... Weak._

_Things were simpler before all of this, because now everything has changed. They've seen how broken I am, they've seen how much pain I've been hiding, and they know I haven't told them everything. I asked them to tell me things wouldn't change, and they did... But I know better. Everything's changed._

_I can't say I can explain it to them... I'm still afraid. I don't want to lose them, and I feel if I tell them... I will._

_Damn it... I wish things were simple. Hundreds of thousands of times over I have wished, wished so badly that I could just go back, back to before that monster, before my life was snatched away, before everything I loved had been ripped to pieces on front of me._

_... But... Would I be content..? If I had never met them...? Sting, Rogue... Lector, Frosch... Yukino, Orga... Rufus...?_

_... If things had stayed simple, I would never have known any of them... And that thought puts some sort of deep, aching hole in my heart._

_I... I don't know anymore..._

* * *

  
_  
... Brother... What do I do...?_

Hora winced slightly, her eyes fluttering open to see moonlight filtering through the train window to her right, barren, rocky land flowing past as the train moved swiftly through the dark night. She sighed slightly, her shoulder brushing against Sting's as she lift her head from his shoulder lightly, careful to keep from waking him up. She smiled sadly at the uncomfortable face he seemed to wear in his sleep, sure some of it was because of his motion sickness, and some of it was still worry she was sure.

Her blue gaze shift across from her toward Rogue, who sat with his back pressed up against the window and the wall, feet up on the seat and Frosch in his arms. Lector was curled up beside her, snoring softly. Hora smiled slightly, feeling a tug in her chest.

_... I don't think... It would have been any better..._

She lightly drew her fingers across the top of Lector's head, rubbing his ears gently and earning a sleepy purr from him, though he didn't wake up.

_... If I had never known all of you._

She slowly drew her hands back up, pressing the sides of them together lightly in front of her chin, palms open to face up as she took in a small breath, her eyes falling closed. She exhaled softly, eyes opening as they glinted with the bright golden and red light of a flame that formed from her breath, the flame licking at the air gently before she sighed, and her Magic faded again.

_... Damn it..._

"... Is using Magic a good idea, Hora?"

She turned, her blue gaze meeting Sting's own. She blinked, faintly surprised he had woken up, before she cast him a small, reassuring smile and let her hands fall into her lap. "It's ok. It's better to know I can," She smiled slightly, "If I wasn't able to, that'd be worse, hmm?"

_... And still, it wasn't what I was hoping for._

She shook her head slightly, seeing Sting still gazing at her quietly, blue eyes glittering in too many emotions to try and place.

"... You've been doing this for a very long time, haven't you?" He asked suddenly, she blinked at the question, heart skipping a beat suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"Hiding what you've been really feeling. Hiding your pain." He replied softly, nearly painfully himself. "You've been playing at being happy for years, never letting anyone see how you felt deep down." Hora's eyes fell a moment, "You've been hurting all this time... And you just kept hiding it."

"... I'm not always in pain, or sad you know." She murmured softly, eyes closed and hands folded in her lap as she turned away from him. "I have been happy, being with you guys." She glanced up to him, smiling brightly despite how tired she still looked, Sting blinked in slight shock. "Being with all of you has made me happier than you could ever know. I'm not always suffering, you guys make life better, and I enjoy it, being with you. I _really_ do. You guys make everything so much fun, so much better and so much more enjoyable than I thought possible of anyone to do- but you guys do it on a regular basis, and I love you all the more for it." She glanced his way, eyes shining slightly in the dim as she continued to smile softly.

"So don't think you guys haven't meant anything to me, or that even being with you've I've never been happy. Because that's not true- you guys do make me happy. Really, really happy... And you make me feel like I'm not all on my own."

He didn't seem to know what to say, he only stared, his blue eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. He couldn't remember seeing Hora say something so heartfelt, and he had never seen her say something and mean it as much as she seemed to just then.

Of course he felt that way- that being friends with her, being with Hora and Rogue, Frosch and Lector- being with them all made him happy, made life enjoyable and kept him smiling... He supposed he hadn't thought that was the case for Hora, seeing how much pain she was in, the pain and he suffering he had failed to see all the time he had known her. It made sense she felt that way... But she had never said anything to let them know that. He guessed maybe she thought she didn't have to say it, that they just knew... But they didn't seem to know a damn thing about her. And he hated it, and at the same time his heart clenched painfully.

He cared for her deeply, and he wished she knew it enough to have told him how she was feeling all these years. He wished she had shared with him her pain, and she hadn't... She had kept it hidden, and he felt he had failed her immensely as a friend.

What sort of friend fails to see how much pain Hora seemed to have kept bottled up inside? To know nearly nothing about her, where he thought he had? What sort of friend was he to have her feel she needed to hide her feelings from him? Instead of sharing them?

The image of he and Rogue holding her in their arms on the street of Margret town as she sobbed, and fell apart suddenly came to mind. Hora had never been weak, she had always been strong and brave... She had always been fine.

_And yet she never was._

"Hora..." He breathed, eyes falling and fists clenching in his lap tightly. Hora blinked at his now hunched and tense figure, blue eyes glittering. "... I am so sorry." He hissed, eyes scrunching closed and hair hiding his face from her view. "I can't believe... I've been such... Such a poor excuse for a friend... It's unforgivable..."

Hora's heart clenched painfully, her smile fading as her eyes locked to the sparse few glittering drops of liquid that suddenly fell into his lap.

Sting was strong, confident, and maybe a little cocky... He was also kind, and goofy, and perpetually cheerful, his happiness was nearly intoxicating. There were few times he ever got to the point of breaking down, or being so sad he started to cry... And he was crying because he felt he failed _her._ She bit her lip, feeling a flash of pain in her chest suddenly.

 _They care about me more than_ _ **I**_ _cared to admit._  
  
"... I don't deserve... To even be called your friend... Not after... After..." He hissed lowly, voice hitching painfully as Hora took in a small breath.

"... Sting." She murmured, hand reaching forward to land lightly on top of his head, her fingers threading through his blonde hair gently as she felt him shake under her. "... You are one of the most loyal people I have ever known, you know." She smiled slightly, eyes falling closed. "And I have known a lot of people, and yet no one has been more loyal than you. And I can't say anyone could be a better friend to anyone than you can." She took in a breath, "You're kind, and cheerful, and you light up whatever room you go into. You care for people more deeply than most ever can, and you're brave and protective- you'll do anything to protect the people you love. Anything at all. And that is one of the best things about you."

She felt him shake a little under her touch, but she heard his sudden harsh breathing ease just slightly.

"You haven't been given any real chance to prove how loyal and caring you are, not with how SaberTooth is now. But I've seen you around our friends. Yukino, Orga, Rufus... You're a much better friend than you realize. I'm the one who hasn't given you the chance to be as good a friend as you strive to be toward me. That's my fault, not yours."

She pulled him toward her, holding his head to her chest as she wrapped her arms around his back and shoulders.

"... Don't let Jiemma destroy the pure light and good I see in you. And don't let anyone keep you from being who you really are." She smiled gently, "You and Rogue, you two are the best of us. And you always have been."

* * *

"Come on you four, let's go home."

Hora stood in the aisle of the train car, leaning with an arm against one of the seats as she smiled gently toward her four sleepy-eyed Guildmates groggily coming too. The train's whistle blew to signal it would soon be moving off again, as the familiar figure of Saber Town stood outside the train windows in early afternoon light.

Sting glanced her way quickly, glancing away with a small frown and an expression she could see barely hid his flustered and on high emotions from the earlier night not but a few hours ago. She smiled slightly at him, he wasn't one to break often no... But she knew he felt at least a little better now. And she had meant everything she said to him, and she hoped he knew it.

_... Maybe... It is better to share things, sometimes..._

She shook the thought away.

"Hora...?" Rogue mumbled, yawning halfway between her name.

The four of them had been passed out for a few hours now, which didn't surprise her- she had the feeling they really hadn't slept since everything had happened with Jiemma. She on the other hand, she hadn't been able to fall asleep after Sting had last night- though she wished she had.

"We're back." She announced softly. "It's time to head off the train." All four nodded slightly, picking themselves up slowly as she stepped forward so they could file out behind her.

_... They are going to ask. I managed to hold off their questions one more night... But now my time is up. I can't really stall anymore._

She swallowed hard, coughing slightly into her hand when a twinge of pain flared in her chest suddenly. From the corner of her eye she saw the four she was with stiffen at the sound, but she took a deep breath and quieted it.

_... How do I tell them anything, without them looking at me differently? Or doing something... Something stupid..?_

_Brother... I don't know what to even say to them... I've been hiding all this for so long it's like it's impossible to put any of it into words... What am I going to do...?_  
  
She glanced up at the clear blue sky over their heads once they stepped of the train.

_... I know helping Fairy Tail was the right thing to do... I know it._

... But will Sting and Rogue see it that way...?

She sighed silently, eyes closing a moment.

"Let's go home first... Then I'll try to explain things... _Some_ things..." She murmured, glancing backward at the four who trailed from the train behind her. They looked back at her with tired, slightly worried faces still, but she thought maybe they had relaxed a little now. She surely hoped so.

All four of them nodded slightly, not saying anything, she smiled just faintly.

_Please... I just want to fix things._

But all I ever do is destroy things.

She couldn't tell them why she couldn't leave SaberTooth. She knew she couldn't tell them why she was a slave to Jiemma- because she knew they cared about her, and the anger they would feel if she told them, would likely drive them to do something stupid. And then Jiemma might kill them.

_So I won't tell them that._

... But then, what do I tell them?

_'Hora!'_

She stopped, eyes narrowed and a shiver running up her spine at the sudden voice. She knew it wasn't any of the four behind her that had said anything, and she stopped suddenly. It wasn't a voice she recognized... or at least, one she couldn't place.

Rogue and Sting nearly bumped into her when she stopped so suddenly, eyes narrowed and heads tilted at the action. "Hora..?" Rogue murmured, "Something wrong..?"

"Yeah, why'd you stop?" Sting asked, blue eyes glinting.

That meant they hadn't heard anything... but how had she?

Hora glanced sideways, her eyes scanning the streets and buildings around them, ever aware of the stares she was receiving from the townspeople around them as they steered clear and did their best not to walk too close to the SaberTooth Mages.

_Why... why do I feel I know that voice...?_

"Hora?" Sting said, a little louder this time when she failed to even acknowledge they had said anything. She could practically feel their worry rising again, and she internally cringed at it.

"... Sorry." She mumbled, shaking her head and casting them a small smile to reassure them. "I thought I heard someone yell my name is all, I guess I'm just hearing things."

"Ok..." They mumbled, looking skeptical but she chuckled lightly.

"Honestly, I'm fine. I didn't mean to worry you guys again." She turned again and started to move, "Come on."

_I know I heard it.... But what was it...?_

_'You know I'm still here, don't you?'_

She felt like an icy spear pierced her heart, snatching her breath from her though she didn't react outwardly. She kept walking, but her hand moved up to clench about the shirt over her chest, sweatdropping heavily as she bit the inside of her lip.

_No... no way.... It's been... years....  
_ _  
'... You know things have changed, don't you?'_ __  


* * *

 

Hora pushed the door to her apartment open, hearing Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch move in behind her. They looked around the front portion of the room with glinting eyes, they hardly ever came to Hora's place, usually she came over to Rogue and Sting's apartment instead... it must have been at least a year since they had been here.

Hora moved forward across the hardwood floors, lightly pulling the curtains back from the window set directly across from them. The afternoon light washed out over the room, shinning lightly off the dark wood floors, and off the heavy coffee table set in front of a couch, and an armchair. Hora stepped up toward a desk besides an opening in the wall to the kitchen, and further to her bedroom- stopping at the desk she let her hair down and placed the ribbon on top, standing there for a minute with her back facing the four.

She took in a deep breath, shaking her head slightly and trying to cast some of her swirling thoughts away for now. She knew she was tense, and she willed herself to try and unwind a little, to relax- but it wasn't even the looming realization that she'd have to spill some of those secrets she had long kept buried... it wasn't just that anymore, and she suddenly wished it was.

_'.. you're ignoring me now?'_

Her eyes scrunched closed and she shook her head a little,

"You guys can sit down you know." She murmured softly, aware that she hadn't heard any of them move since coming in the door. She turned around and smiled slightly, seeing them look to her with nervous eyes and flustered expressions. She chuckled slightly, pulling the chair beside the desk out a little and straddling it, her arms hanging off the back.

"Sit guys, seriously. This.... This is gonna take awhile."

Slowly but surely they moved over toward the couch and the armchair, sinking down to a seat slowly as they looked back and forth toward Hora with quick, feverish glances. Hora watched them settle for but a moment, before her eyes closed and she took in a breath.

"... Hora...?"

".... You don't have to tell us, if you don't want to." Rogue murmured, "We know we said you needed to, but that choice... It is up to you."

".... Hmm, I know." Hora murmured, "I know... and I know you guys wanna know what's going on, what I've been keeping from you... and maybe you have a right to know. So... I will try to tell you some of it, at least... just a little."

She paused, resting her elbows on the back of the chair and lightly bringing her hands up, her fingertips on each hand lightly pressing together and palms remaining apart as she drew her hands in. Her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin, and her eyes closed.

The other four all blinked in slight shock, recognizing the somewhat unique gesture. It was something they had seen before now, a habit Hora had, one she showed when she was thinking deeply, intently.

"... It's just complicated, and really... hard."

_Can I tell you... without losing you...?_

"... I guess, I'll start with... with Over-Drive..." She mumbled lowly, voice wavering just slightly. ".... It's kind of... a drawback, to my Magic I guess you could say..... with all that power that my Magic lands me.... Sometimes it can get too wild, and it start's to send my body and my health into flux, and if it gets bad enough... it can kill me."

Which... she was sure they were aware of by now.

"It.... It gets set off when I go through a large amount of physical, or emotional strain all at once." She mumbled, "... which is why it flared up after what happened with Jiemma..."  
 _  
'You know that's not entirely true. You're still lying.'_

She grit her teeth a moment.

Sting and Rogue exchanged small, fleeting looks with one another.

If they were going to be entirely honest... in all the time they had known Horatia, all the times they had worked with her, and the times they had pressed about it... they were still not entirely certain what it was her Magic was at all. She never elaborated on it, and they certainly had never seen the likes of it before either. What most they knew about it, was that it was extremely powerful, and that made Hora all the more powerful for it- and they knew the base Element for it was certainly _Fire._ But apart from that, Hora's Magic had always been a mystery, and an enigma. She could use so many different Spells, it was impossible to pinpoint what base Magic it was that she used.

But, despite their lack of a clue as to what it was... they knew very well it closely resembled their own Magic, to a small extent. Though they were not sure why. But even then... Somehow her Magic seemed... _Darker._

"But... you've been hurt plenty of times before now, Hora." Sting murmured lowly, they decided not to press her Magic- they had done so in the past and have had years to ponder it, and still they were no closer to knowing. "This has never happened before."

"Granted.... I don't think we've ever seen you take so much damage all at once..." Rogue put in softly, eyes falling as his fists clenched in his lap. Sting sweatdropped, his own eyes falling as he growled under his breath.

"... I can't believe Master... did that..." the blonde hissed, eyes closing tightly.

"But... Atia..." Lector raised a paw tentatively, catching Hora's attention as she sweatdropped. "Why... Why did Master call you a traitor? He said... you were helping another Guild."

"Fro wonders too.." Frosch mumbled lowly, ears flat.

Hora stiffened slightly, eyes narrowing and sweatdropping heavily.

* * *

" _Hora!"_

Her eyes moved up the street, seeing Sting and Rogue standing there, expressions neutral and presences beckoning. Hora blinked, eyes softening slightly- she knew they were probably itching to run to her, start asking questions and all manner of things, but they kept their cool when they saw Lyon beside her. The act...

* * *

_The reputation the Guild had was owed to it because of the things they were forced to do and act like- for fear they be punished by Jiemma or Minerva. The Master and the Lady wanted nothing but power and status, they wanted to rule a Guild that was feared and renowned- and they were prepared to do whatever it took to keep the Guild running in their vision of it. They used brutality and fear to force the Members of the Guild to submit to their laws, their rules, and their standards... They scared everyone into becoming what they weren't. What they didn't want to be._

* * *

****  
  
_All first appearances, and impressions of these two- they were radically different from how they truly were, especially around the people they cared for. When first meeting Sting- he came off as an arrogant prick who cared little for other people, and more for his own personal gain. Rogue seemed emotionless, as if he didn't care about the world- as was stony and cold to everyone, to all those people who didn't know him, or what he was truly like. In reality- the few people who realized that there was more to the Twin Dragon Slayers than first appeared, those would have been Orga, Yukino, Rufus... And of course Horatia._

They had put up a huge wall between their true selves and the outside world. They had created an act, a facade that they played and put on for the rest of the world- and fallen so deep into it, they couldn't be their true selves with anyone they didn't know. People didn't like them... Because they didn't know them. And maybe they never would, the way SaberTooth was going.

* * *

_The Members of SaberTooth, those aside from the Master and his daughter... They were not evil. They were not bad, they weren't ruthless, nor inherently violent or brutal. In all reality, they were good people... But no one knew it._

No one knows it... because Jiemma's brutality and violence has melded these people I have known for years... into people I'm afraid I don't really recognize anymore.

* * *

She had wondered about it several times lately, when she thought on how long Sting and Rogue had been under the influence of Jiemma and his tyranny over the Guild.... That maybe that man was starting to rub off on them, and the act they put on for the outside world was becoming less and less just an act. That what Jiemma was doing was actually starting to change them, and make them... not them.

That act, the façade they put up for everyone outside of herself and their friends in the Guild, the way they behaved around other people, and especially other Wizards was entirely convincing, almost to the point of unnerving. She worried and worried that they were changing, and eventually going to become people she hardly recognized at all... if anything that was one of her biggest fears.

She just wanted them to stay _them._

She wanted to believe they would never change, that they would be the people she saw them to be. That they would be the good she saw in the both of them on a regular basis, and that nothing Jiemma or his daughter did would taint that goodness in them. Sting and Rogue... and everyone in the Guild, they were all good people, they just never got the opportunity to show it. She dearly hoped one day the rest of the world would see what she did.

But... she was still worried. How were they going to react when she told them it was because she had elected herself to help Fairy Tail that had landed her in the situation she had with Jiemma? That that was the reason that man had so brutally attacked her, and labeled her a Traitor? She nearly died for what he did, and she knew well that both Sting and Rogue were angry with the thought.

But would they be angry at her, for her reasoning? And that her decision to help Fairy Tail put her in harm's way? Almost killed her? Would they blame her for making a poor decision, and angry she had risked her life... for something they didn't find worthy enough to do so..?

"..... I..." She swallowed, why was this so hard to get out..?

"... I was... I was..... w.. working... to locate... Tenrou Island..." Her voice had dropped so low it may have been no one could hear her anymore, but she knew with Sting and Rogue's Dragon ears they could still hear her very well.

Sting and Rogue blinked in slight shock at the name, sweatdropping and eyes glinting.

"... Fairy Tail's Holy Land.... Where many of their members disappeared seven... seven years ago..."

There was a silence that fell over the lot of them in those next few moments that felt like a hundred tons of weight that had suddenly fallen down over her shoulders. She didn't look up at any of them, because she was terrified she'd see anger in their faces, anger toward her for doing something they didn't agree with, and thought was stupid.

She'd stand by her belief that helping Fairy Tail retrieve its members, and more specifically those four Dragon Slayers, was the best decision. She knew it was right, in her core she knew it was the right thing... but she wasn't sure either Sting or Rogue would see it that way, not after what had happened. Not after she had almost died for her action.

".. Fairy...?" Rogue mumbled, eyes wide and sweatdropping.

".. Tail...?" Sting breathed, nearly breathlessly, looking nearly as stricken as Rogue seemed to.

It was a name they both knew well, Hora was aware. The two people that those two boys had looked up to when they were younger were Members of that Guild, and she also knew they had been devastated in their own ways when they had learned of the Fire and Iron Dragon Slayer's apparent 'death' at the claws of the Apocalyptic Dragon.

Hora nodded slightly, eyes glinting.

"Yes... and I sent what I had found about the Island to the remnants of the Guild... so they could go and find it." Hora continued softly, sounding more and more unsure by the second. "... Jiemma and Minerva... Found out about it somehow... And then... Well... You know what happened after that..."

_Yeah, you idiot... You almost died. That bastard Jiemma nearly killed me... And Rogue and Sting, Lector and Frosch..._

Her hands shook slightly, still with her fingertips pressed together, as her jaw clenched and she growled inwardly.

_... They watched Jiemma nearly beat me to death... They never should have seen anything like that. Ever._

_'... Wavering now, on your decision?'_

She bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood, but didn't let herself show the sudden pain outwardly.

_Never._

".. But Hora..." Rogue mumbled,

".. Why... Why help Fairy Tail...?" Sting whispered, his eyes riveted to the floor and seemingly unable to wrap his head around the idea, or maybe he was just reeling a little because he was familiar with the Guild.

"... They aren't dead." She mumbled lowly, their heads snapped up toward her in surprise, only to see she had her eyes closed, still on the same odd position of her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin.

"Fairy Tail... The Members that were on the Island, they didn't die, because the Island was never destroyed. It was just... Hidden." Her voice dropped to a lower, more calm tenor as Rogue and Sting continued to stare at her. "Hidden by a powerful Spell that kept everyone on the Island alive. I had been looking into it for awhile, and realized there had been a Spell set up... I sent what information I gathered to Fairy Tail so they may go to the place where Tenrou Island once stood, and rescue the Members they had thought were dead."

"... No one deserves to continue suffering in pain and heartache for years on end, especially for the loss of people they love." Hora murmured softly, her tone suddenly gentle and wispy. "... If I could help to ease anyone's suffering, and bring happiness to their lives again... I had to try."

 _Not to mention, that internal balance of the world that I felt had been tipped by the loss of four Dragon Slayers._ But that explanation of her theory on internal balance and the importance of Slayers was too large and too long a topic to even begin to explain it to them... She had taken years to understand what she did now, and still she knew so very little.

While she could say returning those four Dragon Slayers had been her ultimate goal for helping Fairy Tail, it wasn't entirely that either. There was truth in what she said, about helping to ease Fairy Tail's pain. That was true as well.

It was pain she felt she knew all too well.

"... I did what I felt was right. Even if they are a different or a rival Guild... They're still people." Her voice was softer now, "I had to help where I knew I could."

"...We know."

Hora's eyes snapped open in sudden surprise, blinking once or twice when she was the gentle expressions on Sting and Rogue's faces, even the smallest, faintest a hints of exasperated smiles on their lips.

_W-wha..?!_

"You always do things you think are right." Sting murmured, "You've always done everything you can to help everyone else, even if it meant putting them before yourself." His eyes glinted in sadness in pain at that, she stiffened slightly.

"That's who you are, you care about other people's pain and always look for ways to ease their suffering. You've done that on many occasion not only for us, but for other members of the Guild too." Rogue told her softly, "So we understand why you felt the need to help Fairy Tail."

"Not that we like it all the much though," Sting butted in with a firm look. "Since it almost got you killed- but that's more on Master than it is on you."

"Just please try to be more careful, alright Hora?" Rogue sighed, "Please take care of yourself a bit more, and focus less on other people."

She stared, sweatdropping slightly and a little taken aback. This was not the response she had been expecting, _at all._ They were much more accepting of her actions than she assumed they would be, and on top of that- they didn't seem at all surprised with her reasoning either.

"... Huh..." She breathed, they both blinked at her, heads tilting just a little.

"What?"

"... You... Well... You took that better than I thought you would." She admitted softly, they blinked at her.

"How did you expect us to take it?" Sting grumbled, eyebrow quirked slightly. "Did you think we'd snap at you, or something?"

"Honestly, yes." She replied truthfully, this time they looked surprised. "I had thought you would be really angry with me, and think my reasons were idiotic, and dumb..." Sting and Rogue exchanged glances between themselves, looking quizzical a moment, before they both sighed and shook their heads in exasperation.

"You're thinking too much into it." Sting told her, "You're over-exaggerating things in your head, Hora."

"You do that often, actually." Rogue told her, she narrowed her eyes, head tilting.

"What?"

"You over-think things, and blow situations out of proportion in your head on occasion. Like you always expect the worse." Rogue explained, Hora's jaw dropped slightly, her hands dropping too.

"You're very optimistic, but only outwardly." Sting put in, Lector smirked and nodded his head.

"This is how optimistic you appear to be," Lector said, holding his arms out wide, before sighing and smirking softly. "But this is how optimistic you actually are, Atia." He drew his paws in together to a small distance, Hora blinked, sweatdropping.

Hora had always thought herself an optimistic person at heart, and someone who was level headed and clearly thought things through. She had never once considered herself to 'over-think' things.

Sting waved a hand in front of his nose a few times, grinning slightly. "You outta try and think about things a bit more positively than you usually do." his fangs flashed in his smile slightly. "Of course we wouldn't get real mad at you for being who you are."

"We'll just scold you for not telling us sooner." Rogue smiled slightly. Frosch smiled and lift a paw.

"Fro thinks so too!"  
 _  
... Do I really... Think the worst of things...?_

She hadn't ever considered the idea, but apparently it was something she did often- at least, often enough that both Sting and Rogue had taken notice of it.

_... So they're telling me... I'm a pessimist...?_

_'... It's a curse, and not of the regular kind.'  
_  
She glanced to the floor, biting the inside of her cheek again as she cursed at the voice.  
 __  
... I wonder... Have I been thinking the worst of things this whole time...?

Could it even be possible that in her own mind she jumped to the worst conclusion, and that because of that she had inadvertently made it impossible for herself to see any bright side to things? Had she been holding herself back for fear of things she thought might happen- but those things were actually blown up to be worse than they could be in reality?

She wouldn't deny that she kept secrets for fear of awful, awful things that may happen... Things she had convinced herself would happen if she said some things... But what if what she assumed would happen, was so much worse than it actually was?

... What if the bad things she feared... We're mostly imaginary...? Had she been afraid, for no reason at all...?

She bit her lip a little, eyes closing as silence fell between the lot of them suddenly.

Maybe it was possible she blew things out of proportion, and what she was afraid of was unrealistic. Maybe she had been keeping secrets and hiding things for fear of something that may never actually happen...

... But maybe not. She was still afraid, and she would continue to be too. She knew how twisted and dark and screwed up she was inside, and she was still afraid of how they would react should they her learn how deep her darkness ran.

"... I never knew... I came off that way..." She managed to mumble after awhile. Maybe there was truth in what they said, yes, but at the same time she did think that way for a reason- and she had every right to jump to such awful conclusions. Life had given her plenty reason to doubt, and she had seen plenty of things, and lived through them enough to know the world could be an awful, ugly place full of terror and pain. She knew that better than most.

"... I guess... I'll have to try looking at things a bit more optimistically than I usually do." She murmured, flaming back up toward them. "... Maybe if I manage that... I can be a bit more open, and a little more honest." They smiled slightly, nodding once.

"Take your time, Hora." Sting murmured,

"Just please don't forget, we worry and care for you as much as you do us. We want to know when you're in pain, and we want to help. So next time you find yourself in a harmful place... Tell us, ok?" Rogue murmured, red eyes glinting as she slowly nodded.

"I'll give it my best..." She murmured, nodding a little. "... I don't plan to get into what I meant... When I said I couldn't leave the Guild, just so you know." She added in, "It's not... The easiest subject." They blinked,

"... Alright."

"But... This wasn't so bad, I suppose." She murmured, leaning back against the edge of the desk as her eyes fell closed and she crossed her arms over her chest. She had thought this would be much harder, telling them anything. And she still had told them very little, but truth be told she didn't know where to start if she tried to get into anything else... And they hadn't really asked very many specific questions. And something told her they still wondered, but they weren't going to press anything... She appreciated that. "... Thanks... For being patient with me." She murmured softly,

"You got it." They murmured softly,

"... Oh." She murmured, leaning up again and settling her deep blue gaze on them, she smirked slightly and they all blinked in confusion and shock at it. "Just as a heads up, you're gonna have better competition this year at the GMG. Don't think it's gonna be like all the past years, it's different this time around."

"What do you mean?" Sting murmured, head tilted slightly. For the moment they allowed the sudden change in subject, and didn't question it- though they figured she was avoiding trying to explain herself any more than she had already tried to.

"Well, for one- Jura of the Ten Wizard Saints is planning to participate. He told me when I was at Lamia." She smiled, for a small moment she swore she saw a flicker of nervousness shine in the two Dragon Slayers eyes a moment, maybe it was because they knew Jiemma wouldn't take kindly to them losing a match, let alone the Games. "And the God Slayer in their Guild is planning to join in too." She added.

"I suppose that means we'll have to put in some extra work when we go to train for the Games then." Rogue murmured, Sting nodded in agreement.

"Lamia must be going all out if they have a Wizard Saint joining in.." Sting grumbled,

"They are going all out, and for a reason." Hora smirked, earning their surprised eyes.

"Why would they be?" Lector mewed,

"Fro wonders as well." Frosch murmured,

"Fairy Tail is going to participate in the Grand Magic Games this year." Hora smiled, they all blinked in utter shock. "The Mages who returned from being gone for 7 years will probably be among the participants. Which means,"

Rogue and Sting visibly perked up, she could see it in their eyes, she could almost imagine they were waiting with bated breath for what she would be saying, it was what immediately popped into their heads no doubt.

"Gajeel and Natsu might be in the Games, and you two may have the chance to go against two people you looked up to."

They glanced between one another, smirking slightly and looking pleased.

"That would make for quite the battle," Rogue murmured.

"The games would certainly be more interesting, especially if we managed to face off against them." Sting smirked, his blue eyes glinting in clear glee.

Hora leaned back again, smiling softly as she saw their moods lighten so suddenly. It was a nice change from how somber and worried they had been since meeting up with them again- and they were like that because of her, she knew all too well. But she had seen them talk about the two people they had idolized when they were younger, and she had seen the admiration in their eyes when they had, and knew that though they may hide and deny it- they still looked up to those two Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, and it would probably mean the world to them to go against their idols in a real fight.

She hoped Gajeel and Natsu were in the Games, she wanted to see Sting and Rogue face the people they looked up to, and a small part of her hoped maybe doing so would break away that façade they had built up because of Jiemma.

_I hope... I really hope._

Hora let out a small sigh, she looked forward to the Games.... But still she was a little nervous about them too. It was the GMG that gave SaberTooth its reputation, and Jiemma was always in a worse mood around and during the Games, and for it Minerva was extra wicked. There was a lot of pressure on the Team that participated in the Games, and a lot of fear too- they knew that failure was not an option, and if they slipped up in any way, the Guild would have hell to pay.

Hora's grip about her arms tightened slightly, a sudden flash of anger making its way through her at the thought, and worry too.

She knew how strong Sting and Rogue were firsthand, that went for Orga, Rufus, and Minerva as well- who all made up the regular team to participate in the GMG. But she was also slightly nervous, she was excited to see what would become of the GMG this year, and what the other Guilds would bring to the table.... But would the new power coming to the Games be too much for SaberTooth to handle? Could they lose?

... _If they lose, the Guild's gonna be the front line for Jiemma's wrath... and if it's anything like what happened to me...._

Her jaw clenched, sweatdropping slightly as her gaze fixed to the floor, eyes narrowed to slits and glinting slightly.

... _. I won't be able to do a damn thing... If I tried to fight back and rebel, Jiemma will kill me._

Her eyes moved up toward Frosch, Lector, Rogue and Sting as they talked to themselves, smiling and looking excited.

... _And I don't know what'll happen to them, if I were to be killed. I honestly don't want to find out._

... _But I don't want the Guild hurt either._

Everything had changed, it had all changed so quickly, all in the course of week, and all of it- because of what happened, what Jiemma did, how hurt she had become... and how she had almost died.

They had seen her break down, they saw the walls crumble and they had a glimpse inside to see how twisted, and broken she was... they saw how weak and cold she was on the inside, and that was something they would never un-see. They would look at her differently now, despite their promise not to- they couldn't forget what happened, what they learned, what they had seen in her... her true self.

_Everything about my life, it's complicated... and it just got more so. Damn it, I never asked for any of this._

_Brother.... What am I gonna do...?_


	7. Separated?!

**Chapter 7**  
**Separated?!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:** **.**

Hora sighed slightly, her blue gaze shifting over the room around her slowly, landing on each figure of Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch where they were strewn about the room on the couch, and a cot that had been pulled from a closet and lain on the floor. They lay, sleeping deeply and completely dead to the world, she doubted she'd be able to wake them before they wanted to- all their tension, fear and worry seemed to have caught up with them tenfold, and hit them like a train. So much so, that they had passed out at her apartment rather than going back to their own... not that she necessarily minded.

She leaned against the doorframe leading in toward the kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest and eyes glinting in the light of the silvery moonlight filtering in through the open window to bathe the room. They had stayed long after she had finished talking, resorting to simply telling her what had been going on at the Guild while she had been out of it, and what measures they had been taking to keep the fact they had helped her against Jiemma's orders out of the limelight. She'd have to thank Yukino and Rufus when she got that chance... but she was a little confused still.

They said that Jiemma had been locked up in his office for the past week, with no reason at all- and that he hadn't been sending out orders or anything. And on top of that, Minerva had been gone on some assignment that her father sent her to, and she still wasn't back either, which meant whatever she was working on was considerably delicate, or difficult. Maybe even both, but what could either of those two be doing?

She had the distinct feeling she was sure to find out when they went to the Guild tomorrow, and she flinched slightly at the feeling of dread creeping into the pits of her being.

Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga would be leaving to go on their Training for the GMG soon, so she wouldn't be seeing them at all up until the GMG- Minerva never allowed any 'outside distractions', and it wasn't as if she and Hora saw eye to eye on any regular day anyway. But she would miss having the rest of them around, they would be gone for a number of months.

She coughed into her hand as a flash of pain ran through her chest suddenly, hissing slightly at the metallic taste that came with it, as she turned into the kitchen and away from the sleeping figures so she wouldn't wake them up.

' _You feel something is amiss, do you not?'_

Hora bit the inside of her cheek for perhaps the fiftieth time, hearing the sudden cold, wispy voice reverberate through her mind again- however much she attempted to ignore it.

Amiss?

Hora stopped beside the kitchen sink, her hands falling atop the edge of the basin and shoulders hunching. Her blue gaze swept out the window set atop the sink, seeing the distant figure of SaberTooth's grand Guild Hall atop the hill at the edge of town, overlooking the darkened and silent buildings of the town cowering in fear under its shadow... always.

She blinked, eyes narrowing and glinting suddenly in slight anger at the thought. She could feel something was off, yes. She felt something deep inside her gut, and it wasn't just that things had changed now that her friends knew how deep her pain was running... it was something else. Something deeper, something darker... it was a feeling that was festering at the edge of her senses, so faint and so far out of reach she couldn't begin to place what it meant- but it was still there. Something heavy, something that had her one edge constantly, and it was getting worse and worse.

There was some sort of dark cloud amassing on the far horizon, growing larger and larger in size. The storm it would unleash was growing in power, and it was slowly coming closer and closer, threatening to unleash it's fury on her head.

' _A blizzard rising, is it?'_

Her fingers gripped the edge of the sink tightly, eyes shutting tight. She let out a small hiss of agitation, she wouldn't answer that voice though, she wasn't going to allow herself to give into it... she wanted it gone.

It had been so very long since she had heard that icy, cold phantom hissing away inside her mind. Years... and she hadn't ever missed it, not really. And now that it was back, she felt that sense of dread rising higher and higher.

_Something's coming... something dark._

Her eyes shift from the window toward the dark entryway into the living room, the sound of their soft breathing reached her ears.

... _. What'll happen.. to them..?_

* * *

"Hora..!"

Hora glanced ahead, her eyes opening as she was snapped from her thoughts. The sun shone over Saber Town as she, Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch made it to the top of the hill in which the Guild Hall stood. She smiled just faintly, seeing Yukino rushing from the front of the hall toward their small group, worry and sudden relief etched into her features, Orga and Rufus followed behind the bluenette more slowly.

Hora drew to a halt as Yukino stopped just in front of her, Yukino threw her arms around the older girl lightly, pulling Hora close and squeezing gently.

"I'm so glad to see you looking so much better, I was so worried!" Yukino said quickly, Hora stiffened slightly at the unexpected contact, but let it go. She took in a small breath as Yukino pulled away, her heart clenching to see the concern shining brightly in her eyes. "How are you feeling? Are you ok? What happened?"

"... take a breath, Yukino." Hora murmured softly, smiling slightly.

"Seeing you walking around is cause for relief at any rate." Rufus murmured lightly,

"You were gone so long though, Master's been getting fidgety." Orga mumbled, directing his attention toward Sting and Rogue. "He's been waiting on you two, to send us off on our Training for the Games." Sting and Rogue sweatdropped slightly,

"Is he in a worse mood than usual?" Sting mumbled,

"Only slightly." Rufus murmured. Hora bit the inside of her lip a moment, "He's been locked up in his office a lot, with several letters coming in from the Council."

"The Council..?" Hora murmured under her breath, eyes narrowing a moment. What on earth could the Council be discussing with Jiemma so frequently?

"Hora." Yukino called her attention again, Hora blinked. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Hora paused a small moment, feeling her heart jump a little as she sweatdropped. Even Orga and Rufus and Yukino all looked worried... worried about her. She hated this, she didn't want them scared or concerned about her, she hated the attention.

_I hate all of this._

She smiled slightly, it was meant to be reassuring but she couldn't make it as bright as she wanted to, she just seemed tired- and she was, she hadn't slept since coming back.

"I'm fine, really." Hora replied softly, "Lamia's Sky God Slayer healed me up, so I really am ok. I'm just a little tired and frazzled from everything is all. You don't need to worry so much."

Damn it, she could feel Rogue, Lector, Frosch, and Sting's unbelieving stares on her back. They knew better than to know she was ok, even slightly.

They saw the broken pieces, and they'll never forget it either.

"Are you sure?" Yukino asked, Hora nodded,

"Yeah I'm sure, I'm just glad to be back." She smiled a little brighter this time around. "I suppose I ought to say thanks, too. For helping out you guys." She nodded to Yukino, Rufus and Orga alike. "I appreciate it."

"Of course." Rufus nodded,

"No prob." Orga smirked slightly, not that Hora was sure he really did anything, but he'd pout if she didn't say it. She smiled internally in slight amusement.

"You don't have to thank us, of course we'd help." Yukino murmured, though Hora knew helping had been forbade, and she was a little miffed they had- they could have been placed under Jiemma's wrath for all their help, regardless of good intentions. She hated to think what might have happened if Jiemma had found they were helping, she supposed it was good luck that Jiemma had been preoccupied. And a good thing Minerva had not been around either,

Hora took in a small breath, her eyes falling closed a small moment.

She felt the distinct urge to simply turn away from the Guild Hall and walk back down the hill, to leave the Guild behind and alone for another day... but she couldn't. She had to face that bastard of a man sometime, and she'd ought to do it sooner rather than later. Jiemma was never much of a fan of her being away for too long without knowing precisely what she was up to, that came with the territory of being his slave.

She growled inwardly, her eyes opening again as she rest her hands on her hips for a moment. "Well, better get this over with, hmm?" She murmured, she glanced backward at Rogue and Sting, who blinked, sweatdropping slightly. "You know Jiemma's gonna be pissed if you stay away any longer." They nodded slightly m though they looked less than happy about it.

A part of her figured they were worried that Master Jiemma would still be on the warpath, and they certainly would hate for Hora to be the center of his brutality again, especially after just getting back on her feet.

There was no avoiding Jiemma though, at least not for much longer- even for Hora. She was his property after all, and he liked to keep what was his very, very close.

Her fists clenched at the thought, cursing the man for maybe the millionth time in her life, and hating him all the more. Most days she wished Jiemma didn't exist, others she wished their paths had never crossed... and some days, awful as it was, she wished that man was dead.

Sting and Rogue's eyes glittered in the deepest sort of uncertainty and tension she had ever seen from the both of them, at least up until the last few days anyway.

She looked away, she couldn't look at their worried faces anymore, and she carefully avoided the gaze of everyone else around her as well. She stepped forward and approached those grand doors into the Guild Hall, sweatdropping slightly as they creaked on their hinges, and the entirety of the inside of the hall went deathly silent. All eyes turned toward the group coming inside, most eyes trained to her first, before seeing the collection of Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga together. The Guild was of course waiting for Jiemma to send the GMG team on their Training, and many of them wondered if he would, and when the last member of the team would be joining the rest. Minerva had been gone since the day Hora was given her punishment, the same day Master shut himself up in his office and had seldom been seen since.

Hora felt a shiver run down her spine, she could feel Jiemma's Magical Presence prickling at the air on the floor above, she could nearly feel his looming, and she swallowed, her heart dropping slightly.

_He was waiting for us... shit._

"Master, we're back!" Sting called, his expression falling blank but Hora could tell he was tense.

"Do you intend to make your Master wait long for you to wander back?!"

Hora flinched, including everyone in the hall as Jiemma's booming voice shook the air. Instinctively there was a shuffling of feet as everyone lined up in rows, their attention turning toward the balcony of the second floor as they saw Jiemma's massive figure looming there, the air around him dark and heavy with his anger and bubbling rage. Sting and Rogue lines up on either side of Hora, eyes trained to the man and shoulders rigid, while everyone else lined up around them, shoulder to shoulder... like soldiers.

Hora bit the inside of her cheek as Jiemma's eyes landed on her, forcing herself to keep her expression neutral. "And you, you little rat. Have you learned your lesson or will you be needing a reminder?" Jiemma growled, his words dripping in malicious intent. Hora felt Rogue and Sting press closer to her, she grabbed the back of their shirts lightly and tugged them, making sure Jiemma didn't see, before she shot the both of them a warning glance.

"No, Master." Hora replied steadily, her teeth gritting slightly. "I've learned, I will not disobey you again." Jiemma growled slightly, his gaze piercing as Hora held it steadily.

The monstrous man suddenly turned and made his way to the ground floor, taking a seat in the large throne set at the center of the back wall just below the balcony.

"You four." Jiemma hissed, his eyes landing on Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga collectively. They stepped forward slightly, nodding a little. "You'll be leaving immediately to train for the GMG. You had best make sure you will not lose, SaberTooth is the strongest Guild, don't you dare disgrace this Guild, or you will be punished." Jiemma growled, Hora bit her cheek again, her eyes narrowing to slits as she felt anger boil inside of her. The four standing ahead of her all nodded solemnly, looking tense but they hit it well enough- they heard the same words every year of course.

There was a great deal of stress and danger that came with being a part of the GMG team, especially in this Guild. Each and every person knew that if any of that team were to lose a match in the GMG, or even slightly slip up enough to anger Jiemma, they would be met with the harshest of punishments, and the full wrath of Jiemma's rage. Jiemma cared for the Guild's reputation above all, and he certainly wouldn't stand for the GMG team to fall short of his expectations. If they did, the backlash would be... cruel.

A part of her worried most around this time of year with the GMG. Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga were all very strong, and they usually had no trouble in the Games, but she still worried. Jiemma wasn't a forgiving man, and it would take little to set him off.

"Will the Lady be joining us before we leave, Master?" Rufus murmured,

"Minerva is busy on an important assignment from the Magic Council." Jiemma growled, Hora blinked, along with most everyone else in the building. "Until her assignment is complete, Yukino will take her place in the Grand Magic Games."

Hora felt her heart drop to her stomach, and icy chill washing over her as her eyes instinctively snapped left toward where Yukino was standing.

Yukino went rigid, a haunted and terrified look flitting across her face as Jiemma's piercing stare suddenly settled on her. Hora sweatdropped heavily, mimicked by most everyone in the room as their hearts seemed to stop.

_He's sending Yukino into the Games?! She's never participated before, she's not in practice either!_

Hora knew Yukino's limits, and she knew well that she was not the sort of fighter suited for the challenges the Games offered. She wasn't practiced for the combat required in the Games, especially not if Fairy Tail was going to join, and even Lamia's best Wizards. The likelihood that Yukino could lose a match she was forced into wasn't an unbelievable notion, and if she did lose, Hora hated to think what Jiemma would do to her.

A flash of pain ran through her core, she had to try hard not to cough as her heart started beating faster, seeing the terror grow in Yukino's face as she was sure the same sort of thoughts Hora had were suddenly going through Yukino's own mind.

Without even thinking about it, Hora stepped forward ahead of Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga, her deep blue gaze locking to Jiemma unflinchingly.

"Master, I would gladly take the Lady's place in the Grand Magic Games instead. Surely you'd prefer someone with prior experience in the Games?" Hora said quickly, she couldn't let Yukino participate, it was too great a risk to take, she couldn't!

Rogue and Sting stiffened, sweatdropping and jaws clenching as Hora suddenly stepped forward- they hated how quickly Hora stepped in, especially when they knew the Master wouldn't take to it kindly.

_Hora you idiot!_

"Hold your tongue, rat!" Jiemma boomed, standing up from his seat and causing Hora to step back slightly, though her gaze remained firm. "How dare you question my orders?!" He snapped, Hora forced herself to lower her head a little, her eyes falling to the floor.

".. I meant no offense, Master. I simply had the Guild's interests in mind." She murmured softly, submissively.

... _I am so done giving in.... damn it..!_

"Speak out of line like that again, and you'll be met with a punishment worse than what you received the week prior!" Jiemma boomed, his anger bubbling more and more now, the whole Guild fell deathly silent. " _You_ are being sent away on another matter entirely, and you will have no part to play in the Grand Magic Games, or any part in observing it either!"

Hora's head snapped up in shock, eyes wide and heart jumping slightly at the sudden affirmation. Everyone else in the hall exchanged glances, not sure where the sudden change in subject had come from, or even what the Master was referring to at all. Hora was at a loss for words, she hadn't been expecting for Jiemma to plan something else for her to do, she'd always been around to watch the Games.

She tensed, and her heart dropped a little.

Jiemma only ever 'sent her away' when it was something important, high paying... and dangerous.

"I am sending you on an assignment sent from the Chairman of the Magic Council. You are to complete it in full, and you will do so in a way that represents the power and the reputation of this Guild- and you will do so without fail, and without complaint." Jiemma growled, stalking right up to her as Hora remained rooted to her spot, her mind racing suddenly at just what in the hell this 'assignment' was. From the Chairman?

She stiffened, her deep blue gaze fixed to Jiemma as he glowered down at her, the air around him dark and laced with menace and no small amount of rage and hatred. And danger, warning-

"Fail this assignment, and you will wish you had died doing it." He hissed lowly, his voice dropping so low she was the only one who could possibly hear him.

"And the rest of these worthless rats will pay for your mistakes."

Hora's jaw clenched, fear racing through her heart suddenly. He knew, Jiemma knew what the utmost punishment for her was. Not beating her, not killing _her_ \- but hurting everyone else.

Hora's gaze dropped, her head lowering in submission she had no choice but to show. In her heart was that burning hatred for the man, the fire that screamed at her to disobey, to stand up to him, to say no.

But she didn't have a choice, he knew how to beat her, she was his Slave... and she had no choice. She gave in, but she hated herself for it.

Rogue and Sting stared with wide eyes, sweatdropping heavily and suddenly seeing that indignation growing in Hora so suddenly die out, as her head fell in complete submission, utterly defeated.

"Yukino will take Minerva's spot on the team." Jiemma growled, his voice ringing around the hall. Everyone stood in terrified silence, Hora couldn't bring herself to look back, she couldn't take it, she couldn't handle seeing that terror and heart-wrenching fear in Yuikino's eyes. "Failure is not an option."

' _A slave, and a coward.'_

Hora's eyes shut tight against the hissing in her head.

... _.. weak._

* * *

Hora grit her teeth, her eyes shut tight as she stood alone in the center of the dark train station, she had only been there yesterday, and already it felt like a million years. Her hand gripped her shirt about her chest, sweatdropping and the other hand gripping firmly the few papers of instructions and details that Jiemma had shoved her.

_This assignment... It might kill me._

Her eyes opened, glittering as she stared at the floor. Of course it might, that's why Jiemma gave it to her. He wouldn't dare give it to his 'beloved' daughter, and he certainly wouldn't put something so important to the Council in just anyone's hands. He chose her because he knew he could, and he knew she had to do everything she could to get it done. She couldn't fail, because the price for losing was too high for her to bear.

Getting killed wasn't the worst punishment this job offered, it was the cruelty Jiemma would subject everyone in the Guild to if she failed this. She couldn't let that happen, she had to finish this job, she had to do it right, and she had to do it on her own.

_I have to do it... for them. For their safety._

Jiemma was manipulating her, he always was. He pulled the strings tied to her feet and hands, and he could make her do what he wanted, whatever it was, she didn't have a choice.

And of course, he could cut her strings whenever he wanted to. Her life was his to do with what he wanted.

She wanted it to end...,

She stepped onboard the waiting train, the papers crumpling in her fists as she turned her back on SaberTown without a word and without a glance back. Her eyes fixed to the floorboards of the train as it moved off, the silloute of he Guild atop the hill remaining like a dark shadow as she left it all, moving farther and farther forward toward what would probably kill her, and what she couldn't let be the death of her.

She left it all behind, not likely to see the Guild, nor Sting, Rogue, Frosch, Lector... anyone ever again. Or for at least a very, very long time. She wouldn't be there to keep an eye on them all, to subtly help to keep them out of trouble, to cheer them on at the Games, or to pick them back up when they were down.

She left without a word, and left them remembering simply what had happened that past week. When they were finally able to see she how broken and shattered she was inside, the last image they had of her, was how twisted she was, how defeated.

_I'm sorry...,_

Her head snapped around when she heard footsteps in the station behind her, her thoughts snapping back to the present, seeing Rogue and Sting approaching with Rufus, Orga and Yukino trailing behind. Hora's eyes flitted over Yukino for a split second, before she glanced away before their eyes could meet.

"Hora..!" Sting huffed, panting slightly as if he had been running. Frosch and Lector floated beside the two Dragon Slayers, looking worried.

"We thought we missed you," Rogue huffed out, "You left the Guild without saying anything."

She had, Jiemma gave her the assignment and made it clear what was at stake if she failed. He told her what she was supposed to do, and relayed just how dangerous and difficult it was going to be. She realized how likely she was to die on this, so she hadn't the heart to face everyone when Jiemma was done, she just left.

A part of her _had_ been hoping to leave before they caught up with her, but a part of her wouldn't let herself. She was torn... torn in too many ways, and too many times really.

_I wonder... is this what I was feeling? That darkness..?_

"...That assignment Master gave you, from the Magic Council." Sting murmured, his blue gaze glittering as Hora lowered hers, both her hands clenching around the papers she held. Rogue and Sting blinked in shock at the reaction,

"... Is it that dangerous...?" Sting breathed, Hora just nodded. Frosch and Lector sniffed slightly, tears of fear pricking at their eyes.

"Hora, you can't..! You only just got back on your feet!" Rogue said quickly,

"We aren't gonna let you go off by yourself! Not if you could get hurt again!" Sting snapped,

"I don't have a damned choice!" Hora snapped, her head snapping upward and blue gaze glittering in agitation and something deeper they couldn't place it. They flinched slightly at the sudden outburst, especially seeing as she had been so quiet up until that point. "Listen, things aren't as simple as you want them to be! This isn't something I want, I don't want to go on this mission, I _want_ to be there when the Games happen, I _want_ to be with you guys, I _want_ things to be easy and simple but they aren't!" She swept her hand out to the side in an agitated fashion, "If I don't do this mission, Jiemma will take out his anger on the rest of the Guild, and I will _not_ let that happen." Her eyes flashed in determination so bright they all blinked,

"This isn't all that different from usual, I don't see you guys these three months you're off training, so that'll be the same. If I'm gone for the Games, you'll just have to live with it! You have to keep your heads about you, you can't screw up and you can't get distracted- not because of me, and not for anything. You have to do your best, and I promise I will do mine. But you have to trust me, trust that I'll be fine on my own, regardless of how hard this mission will be." Hora went on, sounding ever more agitated, but her uncertainty seemed to vanish suddenly, and for a moment they saw the Hora they had been missing as of the last week or so. "I promise, I will do my very best, and if I can I will finish this before the Games over, you have my word. But until then, you have to do you're best. Keep your heads in the game, you can't slack off, not when every other Guild is going all out in the Games this year. And especially not right now." Hora's voice dropped suddenly, "Yukino's on your team now guys. She's not used to the sort of combat the Games play with, so you have to keep an eye on her! Do your best to keep her safe alright? Especially since I won't be able to." She took in a small breath, her agitation simmering down as she gazed at them steadily.

"Promise me? That you'll guys will do your best to be safe and ok while I'm gone?"

Rogue and Sting exchanged small glances, looking unsure and hesitant. They didn't like this, not one bit. They didn't want to be separated from Hora, especially not when she would be walking off into danger by herself.

But they were walking into danger too in a way, and they knew she made sense with what she was saying, though they certainly didn't like it, at all.

"Alright." Rogue murmured, both he and Sting nodded to her.

"But you gotta promise something too, Hora." Sting murmured, Hora blinked. Both Sting and Rogue's eyes softened, glittering in sadness and pain and worry that was so strong she felt a small flash of pain strike her core again.

"Don't die, please." They murmured in unison, their voices catching slightly as if they struggled to say those three words. Hora went rigid, eyes widening slightly in shock, before she sweatdropped and her expression softened slightly.

I hate those looks, how sad, how much pain they're in...

This mission would be the hardest she had ever had, the one with the most risks, the most difficult and the most dangerous. And she would be alone. Hora was strong, but clearly she had her limits, and with Over-Drive still working it's way with her, she still wasn't in the best of standing.

This mission would be difficult for a whole Guild of Wizards, let alone one all alone. Hora, all on her own... with nothing but her burning drive to keep her friends safe pushing her forward.

_This mission, it's insane..._

She nodded slightly, her eyes steady as she looked to the both of them. This was the last time she would see them for a long while, she just wished they were smiling. She liked that better.

"I promise." She murmured softly, she meant it. She would do her very best.

... _. The Chairman, he asked Jiemma to send a group of Wizards on this assignment. But Jiemma is only sending me..._

" _Identify, Locate, and Destroy the Demon of Zeref; Neveleous, currently under the control of the Leader of the Dark Guild North Wind, Eider Borealis. Disband the Dark Guild North Wind, Destroy the Demon of Zeref, and return Eider's Magic artifact to the Magic Council, from which it was stolen."_

' _Finally going to be facing a Demon, are we? You failed it last time.'_

Hora's fists clenched at her sides, she felt a burning, fiery cold flame ignite in her very core.

_Not this time. Not again._


	8. Beginning to Burn

**Chapter 8**   
**Beginning To Burn**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:** **.**

_... God... Damn... This..._

Hora hissed, her body shaking as she pushed her shoulder underneath the heavy beam she was attempting to lift up, the scent of smoke hung on the air as the grey haze engulfed the area, everything hot as an inferno around her as she strained, lifting the beam high enough to allow the man beside her to manage and pull a kid out from underneath it. She hardly cared nor was bothered by the flames licking at her shoulders and clothes from the flames engulfing the beam slowly, her eyes shut tight as she struggled to keep the beam lifted.

The child whimpered in fear and pain as it was dragged out from wreckage, the man pulling her to his chest. Hora let the beam drop once the kid was out, her blue eyes flashing as she faced the man, swiping her hand to the side as she hissed.

"Go! Get out here before the rest of the building goes down!" She growled, he hesitated, looking unsure.

"What about you?!" He snapped, Hora smirked wryly, though she seemed mildly disgusted for a moment.

"Fire isn't gonna do a damn thing to me, I'll see if there's anybody else trapped." She replied, "GO!"

The man hesitated a small moment longer, before he took off, exiting the building with the little girl in his arms, and leaving Hora alone as she stood amongst the blazing inferno around her, not even seeming to be breaking a sweat at the intensity of the heat around her.

She moved quickly through the broken slabs of building and beams, eyes narrowed as she held her hand out, trailing it through the fire around her as it slowly began to die out in her quake, the mass of flames accumulating in her palm. A small coalition of black markings spiraled around her fingers, shining ebony in the firelight. She narrowed her eyes, ears alert and senses on high for any sign of other people in the building with her. She pulled her hand forward, her palm filled with a blazing flame higher than her head, before she closed her fists and they all went out in an instant.

_What pathetic fire... It's hardly even hot._

Her jaw clenched, eyes narrowed in barely muffled fury as she continued to look around,

_This is disgusting._

This was how the entirety of the town was. Most of it anyway, what wasn't set on fire was pulled to the ground, bodies and blood littered the streets in the quake of the slaughter that had fallen upon this town. She would have been disappointed in the lack of involvement of the Magic Council to try and protect these people, but she wasn't surprised. This was the outskirts of the outskirts of their country, too far to be worth protecting, and easy targets for the likes of North Wind.

The bastard who set this town on fire was a coward, he ran off the moment he set things burning. And his Guild-mates set off enough explosions to kill dozens, and they all fled too. Hora was too busy trying to help out everyone caught in the aftermath to even think about following them back to where their Guild was hiding. To which she had been trying to do the last few weeks since arriving in this edge of the country.

It would seem North Wind's headquarters didn't stay in one place, some magical enchantment most likely placed by its leader kept it teleporting between different locations. Unless one knew precisely where it would teleport to next, or had a way to get themselves inside without knowing- North Wind was nearly impossible to pin down. That made her job all the harder.

The members had some way into their HQ, but she hadn't been able to figure out how- she hadn't yet been able to catch one and get them to tell her. The members themselves seemed just as able to jump around as their Guild Hall did.

Perhaps it was a lucky thing that every action North Wind had taken since she began this mission nearly three weeks ago had been simple raids. They'd arrive in a town, torch it our pillage it, and then they'd be gone to the wind again.

Not yet had she seen Neveleous- the Demon of Zeref in control of North Wind's Master. She hadn't yet to face the beast, and a small part of her was thankful for it, but her nerves were rising and her agitation too every time she failed to get any closer to getting this mission done and over with.

_When I find those North Wind bastards, I'm gonna kill them all._

Hora stopped, her eyes widening as she sweatdropped,

_... Did I really just think that?_

She sweatdropped more, raising her hand in front of her as she stared at the black markings encircling her fingers, biting her lip.

_... My emotions were on such a high when I left... It's happening faster than it should... Shit._

She shook her head furiously and continued forward again. Her hand drew trough the flames as she collected them, the fire lessening around the building until it was only smoldering left, and the bright ball of the collected flame rest in her palm. There didn't seem to be anyone left in the building...

Hora's eyes shift sideways, seeing the adjacent building still up in flames. She sweatdropped, her eyes shifting toward her hand to see those black markings about her fingers slowly spread and grown until they wrapped about her entire hand.

She'd have a lot of work to do to put out all these fires... And a lot of Magic...

* * *

 

"Thank you, thank you so much..!"

Hora blinked, her eyes shifting from the smoldering buildings in front of her. She turned, her hands self-consciously hooking behind her back.

The town lay in blackened, ash covered ruins. She had done her best to stop the fire before it burned everything to the ground, and she had managed it, only a portion of the village was unusable now, but it had taken her a long time, and already she felt herself straining.

Her attention fell on an out of breath man, the same one whom she had ordered out of the brining building with the kid earlier. Behind him a few more people were crowding, where others were still moving about quickly trying to help where they could.

"Without you all of our homes would be nothing but ash!" He said, smiling at her and looking utterly relieved.

Hora nodded slightly. "You're welcome." She murmured,

"How are we to repay you?" A woman asked, coming up beside the man, in her arms the little girl from before was looking her way with wide eyes. Hora stiffened slightly, before shaking her head.

"There's no need. I couldn't just sit back and watch this, you don't owe me anything." Hora murmured quickly,

Besides, she was getting paid by the Council once she finished, and it was no small sum... Rightly so considering the difficulty and danger of this assignment.

"You're a Wizard right?" The man asked, Hora nodded.

"SaberTooth." Hora murmured quietly, everyone in ear shot's eyes went wide. Of course, SaberTooth was renowned, even in this small section of the kingdom. "I've been sent by the Magic Council to deal with North Wind, and the Demon Neveleous."

People seemed to shudder at the names, but she saw relief flash in their faces too- finally they had been sent help, even if it was only her. Anyone from any Guild would have been welcomed, but the townspeople were even more enthused that someone from the most powerful Guild in Fiore had been sent to help them.

_A Guild run by a tyrannical madman... What I wouldn't give to tear him apart. Rip the skin from his bone-_

Hora stiffened, biting the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood.

_Stop that! Quit thinking like that! Damn it!_

"On that note..." Hora murmured slowly, her blue eyes glinting as she banished the thoughts from her head, ignoring them as best she could. "If there's anything you can tell me about North Wind, I would appreciate it." The man and the woman shared a small glance, seeming to go into thought a moment.

"Well..." They mumbled, looking unsure.

The little girl scrambled from the woman's arms, teetering up toward Hora who went rigid at the unexpected movement. The little girl walked straight up to Hora, who sweatdropped slightly as her dark blue gaze met the chocolate brown of the little girl.

"Adie, what are you doing?" The woman sighed slightly, the little girl ignored her though.

Adie tilted her head, before tentatively reaching up and grabbing into Hora's arm, slowly making Hora move her hands from behind her back as her chocolate brown eyes traced over the black markings still staining Hora's hands and fingers. Hora stiffened, sweatdropping more but forcing herself not to react- though she wanted to rip her arm away from the little girl's grasp.

Adie smiled brightly, hugging Hora's arm to her chest, "Thank you for helping save me miss!" The little girl beamed, Hora blinked in shock.

_... Those marks... They're evil. Even children know evil when they're near it... So why...?_

Hora just simply stared, unable to wrap her head around the sudden show of affection. She didn't move her arm away, she didn't say anything... She just looked at that bright smiling face.

... Something stirred, somewhere deep in her core. Almost... Like the flames settled.

She smiled slightly, nodding her head and rubbing the top of the girl's head lightly, bending on one knee to be level with her.

"You're welcome.." Hora smiled slightly. Adie beamed,

"She's usually not so keen on strangers, guess that means you're special, huh?" The man chuckled, Hora's eyes glinted slightly.

"As for helping you out with North Wind, we'll do anything to get back at these bastards." The man went on, approaching Hora and Adie.

"There's a tavern in a small city a few dozen miles from here, we've heard rumors that some of North Wind's wizards go there to collect recruits." The woman murmured, earning Hora's eyes.

"Recruits?" She murmured,

"Yeah, the cities called Golio. It's full of criminals and the like, it's a bad place to go." The man murmured, "But I guess that's why North Wind might wanna look there for new members."

"If there's anything to find out about getting to their Guild Hall, you might find out something there." The woman finished. Hora nodded slightly, it was as good a lead as any she supposed.

"You won't let those bad people get away, right miss?"

Hora's eyes cast back down to Adie, who looked up at her curiously.

_... So innocent..._

_'You seem uncomfortable. It is so rare that a child should take to you so kindly?'_

Hora hissed inwardly,

_You know the goddamn answer already._

She banished the voice from her head and smiled at Adie,

"... No. I'll get them, don't worry."

_I just hope... I don't lose it in the process..._

* * *

 

Hora blinked, her eyes shifting around her as she made her way through the town. She tightened the buckle around her neck of her form fit leather jacket, pulling her sleeves down slightly and she's narrowed ahead, ever aware of the stares she was receiving from figures lining the streets.

Golio seemed to have a cloud of darkness and discontent hanging over it. The streets were dirty, cached in mud, trash, and in some places broken glass. Many if the buildings were run down, boated up windows and closed shutters. The people that dared to move about the streets all seemed solemn, silent. Many of them were wrapped in cloaks against the cold wind that blew intermittently through the streets. Hora glanced upward, the sky a hazy grey and the clouds dark and massing, threatening a storm.

She stuck her hands in the pockets of her coat, but not before turning up her collar against the wind, but more so for the purpose of hiding her skin from anyone else.

It took little to realize this place would not take kindly to outsiders, and if anyone here were to see her SaberTooth emblem, things would probably turn sour.

Besides, wrapping herself up made her stick out less amongst the several other cloaked and hidden figures milling about.

Her eyes shifted ahead of her as her nose wrinkled, smelling booze on the air and seeing the outline of a dark building rise up ahead of her, the roof jagged and windows burning with dim candle light. The sign that had once hung outside the door was tilted and hanging from a thin chain, whatever was written on it had faded to nothing and the wood so cracked it was barely in one piece anymore.

Hora grimaced slightly, stepping right up to the door and ignoring the man hunched near the entrance, his dark eyes trained to her and a scowl on his face.

_These people..._

She reached forward, her hand resting on the rough wood of the door.

"Who in the hell-?" The man hissed beside her,

Hora's gaze snapped sideways, settling the man with a dark stare that immediately killed the words on his tongue. He seemed to stiffen, his body growing rigid as it seemed the darkness around her suddenly thickened. He flinched away slightly, sweatdropping.

Something about her expression so suddenly, it just seemed... Murderous.

_I really do not have the patience for this._

The man averted his eyes and Hora growled lowly, opening the sort without a word and stepping inside.

It was warm inside, the air felt close and thick. Hora grimaced a little, eyes closing as she brought a hand up to rest just under her nose lightly. The stink in this place made its dirty interior just about ten times filthier. What didn't reek of booze and liqueur was the distinguishable scent of blood and rot.

Her entrance into the building brought eyes to her, she ignored the dark gazes and dead eyes as she moved straight across the floor, sitting down at the bar and catching the hazy gaze of the bartender.

_I'd love to set this place on fire..._

A mug of ale was slid down the bar face toward her, Hora stopped its movement abruptly with a hand, her eyes closing and her fingers curling around the mug tightly. She heard whispered mutters around the building, hushed tones and tense figures. This place was crowded, people sat in every dark corner, all of them hunched and grim. There was even the sense of murder on the air, and the tingle of Magic in the air. She had no trouble imagining she was sitting among some of the people responsible for such mayhem and massacre as she had seen the last few weeks.

_... Up in flames with everyone here inside of it._

Her grip about the mug tightened.

_Damn it, stop._

_'Those are some dark thoughts.'_

_No shit._

Hora growled under we breath, taking a long drink of the mug, paying imperceptibly to give it a small sniff before going ahead to drink it at all. Her eyes shift sideways in her drink, sweeping about the building quickly, across the dark figures and the glinting eyes. Nothing about any if these people gave away any indication of them being in North Wind, they were all so covered up any Guild emblem was impossible to see, not that she was she they'd be flashing it around anyway. On top of that she didn't recognize any of them either, not from those few she had lost when they came to torch a village.

Her eyes closed again as she simply resigned herself to sinking and listening, perhaps she'd be able to hear someone saying something of interest in the room.

... Or simply take the easy way out and start pummeling people for answers. But it was probably better to be subtle about her actions till she had some substantial evidence of North Wind activity here.

_... I wonder where Sting and Rogue are. And how they're all doing... Yukino especially._

Hora felt her heart clench again, damn it she hated that.

_Yukino shouldn't be doing the games, not this year... This year the GMG is going to be different._

Her nails dug into the cup, and she finished the last of the half-empty mug in one agitated swig. She grimaced, sliding the mug down the counter toward the bartender, who caught it with deft hands and slid her another one.

The quiet in the room was nearly deafening... Anyone talking was doing so lowly.

Hora sweatdropped slightly,

_... This is gonna be a long night. Maybe I should have just started a fight._

She took another drink, setting the mug down in the bar again with her hands folded around it. We drew her hands and the cup in toward her person, seeing the dim lamplight of the lamps hanging from the ceiling flashing dimly across the jagged black markings still staining the skin around her hands. She focused instead of on that, and to the murmuring if voices on the air, simply sitting in silence as the night dragged on and people filtered in and out. Hora kept drinking, not at all perturbed by the alcohol and ever silent as she focused in everything.

The bartender didn't seem to care about her prolonged stay, he simply kept passing her another mug when she finished one, and not a word was spoken between herself and the man as the hour dragged into many, and the lamplight slowly burned brighter as the sky outside went black, and the scent of water on the air thickened. A cold breeze blew over the room every time someone came in, which became more frequent as night settled and the dull mumbling of the room steadily grew louder and louder.

People who had previously been whale prong between one another were now talking loudly amongst themselves as others can though the door and at down among them. Mugs and plates of food floated about at the behest of the bartender, drinks sloshed and people laughed and argued back and forth. Where people had been muttering about individuals with whom they knew pissing them off, or getting paid for whatever job of other, there was a sudden flurry of arguing and bustling between one another.

_'Lively now isn't it?'_

"You bastard! You tell Gregor I don't owe him nothin'!"

"Ah shut yer trap Fransh! Ain't nobody wants to hear you complainin'!"

"Oi! You seen Danse anywhere?"

"Not for a few months, starting to think he's dead."

... All those names and useless conversations... And nothing about North Wind, Neveleous, or Eider.

Hora finished what was probably her twentieth drink of the night, letting out a slightly aggravated sigh.

_... I haven't ever wanted booze to work more than I want it to right now._

She slid the mug down the counter briskly, and it was replaced with another.

"You've been sittin' here a while gorgeous."

Hora's fingers dug into the mug far enough to make the wood it was made of splinter slightly.

Ale sloshed onto the counter as someone dropped a mug on top of it sloppily, before stumbling to a seat in the empty stool next to her. Hora's gaze shift sideways to see man who was perhaps a few years older than her suddenly sit beside her. He was gangly with messy dirty blonde hair and glazed green eyes, his breath stunk of liqueur and he wore a lopsided smile as he leaned in toward her a little, his sleeves of his black shirt rolled up and heavy boots banging against the side of the bar as he lost his balance momentarily.

_You have got to be..._

Hora growled, her eyes shifting away from the man as she took another swig of her ale.

"Aw, come on darlin', don't gotta be so cold." He slurred, a vein ticked on Hora's forehead.

_Cold? Try burning hot._

"Buzz off." Hora hissed lowly, refusing to glance his way. She heard the stool legs tick against the floor as he wobbled.

"Come ooooon, have a drink with me beautiful~" he slurred, leaning in as his elbow rest against the bar counter, Hora grimaced when she felt his hot, across breath wash up against her face.

"You've had too many. Now bug off." Hora growled.

"Oh don't be like that beautiful, I'm just tryin' to have a little fun~!" He slurred. His heavy arm fell down over Hora's shoulders as she hunched, growing rigid and grip about her mug growing all the tighter. The wood about her hand turned black, charring as smoke began to rise from her grip.

_... It's getting hotter. I feel it. It's swirling in me..._

"I'm telling you right now. Walk away. Before you get hurt." Hora hissed lowly,

"Eh? What's this Fergo? Who's this pretty lady with ya?" Another wobbly man rammed against the counter, spilling his drink across the bar top. His arm fell over the other man's still on top of Hora's shoulders.

"She's a beauty ain't she?" Fergo slurred, Hora rocked a little as they both wobbled, both of them still with their arms wrapped over her shoulders, oblivious to the shadow that had fallen over her face and the fact that her cup had begun to glow orange and black as it slowly charred from the inside out like an ember, the ale inside of it hissing as it hit the heat.

"Aw, she's so gorgeous! Come on girl, won't ya hang with us awhile?"

"Yeah! We could have a good time! Promise beautiful!"

"Last time dumbasses." Hora hissed,

Both men stiffened slightly, sweatdropping as they finally took notice of the smoke rising up from her clenched hand, their eyes slowly, groggily moving up toward the swirling black trails, down toward the cup that was now almost nothing but charcoal in her hand, the ale having entirely burned away. Fergo jumped, biting his lip as Hora's gaze shift his way, narrowed and burning with such an intense dark blue fire in them he felt his heart jump.

"Back off, _now_."

Both Fergo and the other man jumped, yelping as their arms suddenly singed at the intense heat coming up from Hora's shoulders. They jumped backward drunkenly, holding their singed arms and their mugs falling to the floor.

"W-Wait-?!"

"You're a Wizard?!"

The bar went silent at the sudden commotion, conversations dying on lips and dark glinting eyes turning toward the three at the bar.

' _So much for subtlety, hmm?'_

Hora stood up from her seat, turning a dark glare on the two men who by now had moved into a defensive stance.

"I told you to back off, _idiots_." Hora hissed,

"Woah, wait a minute....!" Fergo stammered, eyes widening.

"H-hey..... she looks familiar....!" The other man slurred, shaking now in slight fear as it seemed the area around Hora darkened, heat flowing out around her. She rolled her sleeves up slowly, her fingers working to undo the buckle around her neck.

"I'm tired of sitting around anyway, so whatever." Hora growled, fists clenching at her sides. The black markings about her hands slowly crept up her arms, eyes glinting under the shadow of her bangs.

"... she's from SaberTooth!" A man from the back of the tavern blurted out, there was a sudden wave of chairs being pushed backward and skidding over the floor, mugs dropped on tables and people stood up from their seats, all eyes on her, all narrowed and expressions wary and hateful. Hora blinked, expression neutral at the sudden show of distrust and the oncoming threat of violence.

"Listen up, I'd hate to spend any more time in this dump than I need to." Hora growled, "I'm looking for North Wind. Any of you who know where it is, tell me know- before I _make_ you tell me." They stiffened, shooting her glares and snarls.

"Like hell woman."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Hora grimaced, her eyes darkening as the marking's reached halfway up her arms and her head tilted.

"You're gonna tell me," She growled lowly, the mass of strange people and Wizards among them began to close in.

"Or what little girl?" Fergo hissed, suddenly composing himself again.

"Or I'll burn you all alive from the inside out."

The building erupted in shouting and noise as Magic was thrown around all at once. Many different types clashed, swords appearing from air, Light Magic shooting from staffs and hands, lightning flashing as the dim building lit up in different hues of light. Tables and chairs splintered and shattered as furniture was thrown about every direction, a whole coalition of bodies rushing forward toward Hora who stared, eyes narrowing to slits and hardly moving a muscle as the Magic and the enemies closed in on her.

' _What's this? It hardly seems like you.... More like,'_

Hora's eyes narrowed, glinting in a sudden dark anger and cold that it seemed unnatural, as if something about her was suddenly.... Twisted.

'... _. Ardendous.'_

* * *

 

People of the town Golio jumped in surprise, heads turning quickly toward the center of town as an explosion blew the roof of the tavern clean off and the ground itself shook from the sheer force. Glass and sections of the walls flew outward, pelting the surrounding buildings and destroying more as a raging fire suddenly spilled from the inside, melting the framework of the building in an instants time and even going so far as to melt the cobblestone of the streets surrounding. People were blown backward through the walls of the building, landing in a sizzling heap on the street and moaning, their clothes and skin burned in several places.

Those who were nearby before the sudden explosion had been aware there was some sort of commotion going on inside, Magic had been flying through walls and breaking windows long before the explosion went off, and even then some people had been thrown from the building itself. It seemed all hell had broken lose as a fight ensued in the confines of the building, before finally spilling outside of it.

Many people stumbled from the crumbling and melted frame of the building, yelling in anger, fear and pain as they quickly ran away from the scene, a haunted and unbelieving look in their eyes.

"This is insane!"

"What in the hell is she?! Nobody's that strong!"

"D-Demon woman!"

The figure of a cloaked man jumped backward from the flaming inferno swallowing up the building, his eyes narrowed and body tense, but seeming to be in better wear than those people who were running away, or otherwise lying around in pain. He pulled his cloak from his shoulders, casting the smoking cloth aside and facing the flames, his yellow gaze narrowed and sweatdropping slightly.

"You're the only one putting up much of a fight."

A voice moved from out of the flames as the figure of Hora moved through them, unperturbed by the wisps licking at her body and dark blue gaze locked to the man, who grimaced slightly.

"I suppose that means you're the one I need to be questioning, hmm?" She hummed, her voice cold and devoid of all emotion, even anger so suddenly, she was frigid.

"Heh... you're something else, I'll give you that." He mumbled, "SaberTooth's quite the popular Guild, but I've never heard of you...." He paused, eyes glinting slightly. ".. Wonder why, you could easily be stronger than that team of stars they have running around for the Grand Magic Games." Hora blinked, looking disinterested.

"North Wind." She muttered lowly. "You know where I can find it?"

"Don't think I'm gonna tell you that easy, even if you are powerful." The man grumbled lowly. Hora seemed to shake her head slightly, looking bored still, but suddenly she looked faintly agitated a moment.

"If I have to force you to tell me, then fine. Whatever." She sighed, lifting a hand toward him, the black markings on her skin flashing with the light of the fire burning through the building behind her. The man stiffened, eyes narrowing and moving into a defensive stance,

_Though I would prefer to use my Magic as little as I can..._

She growled inwardly,

_This is getting out of hand... I wasn't trying to blow the building up. But I can't seem to... to get a hold of myself._

_Damn it..!_

Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing to slits as the man suddenly moved, he jumped to his right at lightning quick speed, his hand swinging out as the feeling of his Magical power began to rise. His arms swept out in her direction, face pulled into a frown.

"Storm shred!"

Hora blinked,

_.. Wind Magic...?_

She watched as the wind melded and formed into razor sharp edges before the man, spinning compactly and fast enough to shred through walls and stone with ease.

Hora's eyes closed as she suddenly moved from her spot, easily dodging his Magic. The man blinked in utter shock, eyes wide and sweatdropping as Hora appeared right in front of him in the course of a few seconds, with her fist brought back and the markings on her arms having completely painted the skin of her hand a deep, jet black. Her eyes locked to him, cold and glinting in the light of the sudden brilliant bright red and orange flame encasing her fist,

"Storm Mail!"

The man brought his arms in toward him, the air spinning suddenly as incredibly fast waves of wind began to spiral around his body, warding off Hora's fist as it connected with the wall of wind suddenly encasing him, keeping him from getting hit as Hora grimaced slightly, feeling her feet slid back slightly at the waves of wind blowing outward from him.

"Wind Magic trumps fire, you ought to know that." The man hissed at her, "Your flames won't be getting through this wind, it's strong enough to ward off steel."

"This isn't any ordinary fire." Hora growled, the flames about her hand suddenly blazing higher and hotter than they even had been from inside the building. The orange and red clashed with the wind, bouncing back against it with explosive force and disrupting the flow of his Magic entirely, causing it to implode as he stared in near horror, jaw dropped.

"Wh... I-Impossible..!"

Hora's fist swung forward in the blink of an eye, the moment his wind was destroyed and caught him across the jaw, sending him flying. He crashed into a nearby building with enough force to make the wall cave in, hissing as he held a hand to the singed skin on his cheek, eyes glittering in pain and rage.

"Don't think I'm done yet, bitch." He growled, Hora glared at the name, looking suddenly miffed. Her hands raised as fire swirled around her person, lighting up the night around her like a glowing red and orange beacon, the waves of heat rolling over the town for hundreds of feet, and some of the windows near to her cracking.

"Would you like to say that to my face?!" Hora snapped, her eyes burning just as brightly as the fire around her. The man picked himself up, jaw clenched and looking nearly as angry as she did.

"Bitch." He growled the words, Hora's teeth ground down on each other as her jaw tightened, the black on her arms moving farther still.

"I'm gonna turn you to ash, jack-ass!" She hissed lowly, her tone suddenly dangerous, a strange gleam coming into her eyes as her expression contorted into rage and something _darker_ , malevolent even.

"Gonna have to get me first." He sneered, his arms lifting as wind circled around his body, his fingers crossing over one another in an x shape. Hora stiffened slightly, eyes narrowed at the formation as she clenched her fists at her sides, knees bending and body growing rigid.

_That Spell..._

" _Emera Baram!"_

The city shook to its roots as a tornado suddenly shot out from the man's hands, shredding apart the ground and uprooting entire slabs of earth and sections of buildings in its quake. The fire that had been spinning and circling around Hora was suddenly engulfed in the spinning column, all sight of the Saber woman lost to the dark wind and the mixed in sections of flying debris that went with it. Two blocks worth of houses, buildings and road was suddenly torn up from the spell, hundreds of yards of the town wrecked in an instant. The man smirked, eyes glinting slightly. He moved his fingers apart, arm swiping sideways as the Spell continued forward, a Magic Circle appearing in front of him as a maniac grin spread across his face.

"Strom Bringer!"

A series of tornadoes suddenly appeared out across the town, all of them converging in on the original spell and adding to the destruction as the earth under the streets was suddenly uncovered, the sky overhead swirling and dark as the clouds were shifted and moved from the intensity of the wind itself.

"Let's see you get through all that wind, bitch." He growled, eyes glinting as he smirked crookedly.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

The man's head snapped upward, eyes widening at the sudden voice over his head and the harsh glow of flame as a young man with pink hair fell through the air toward him, his arms held out and covered in flame as he frowned.

"Who in the hell-?!" He snapped, whipping around and swiping his arms toward the new arrival.

"Aerial Bane!" He snapped, a column of dark wind spiraling toward the pinkette and sending him backward.

"Sand Buster!"

His eyes snapped sideways, seeing a column made of spinning sand streaming toward him before he could manage to dodge it or deflect it with any Magic. He was thrown backward, his back hitting the ground as his clothes and skin were suddenly cut up by the sharp little bits of sand rushing into him at alarming speed.

"Good hit, Scorpio!"

"Yeah~!"

The man hissed, flipping over onto his feet as his attention snapped to the two voices, catching sight of a blonde standing nearby with a large man with a tail, and a blue cat near to her. He grimaced, noting faintly the keys hanging from her belt.

"Mages.." He growled, his eyes snapping sideways to see the pinkette from earlier land on his feet. "... what the hell? These new guys ain't from Saber...." His eyes narrowed, honing in to the red mark on the pinkette's shoulder, and a similar one on the blonde's hand. "Tch... what the hell is a half-assed Guild like Fairy Tail doing butting in?" He growled.

"Oi! Who the hell do you think you are calling Fairy Tail that?!" The pinkette snapped hotly, his fist blazing with flame as he clenched them.

"Heh, you clearly ain't been paying attention. Fairy Tail's the weakest of the weak, I'm surprised you're stupid enough to jump in to this." The man grumbled, the four standing in front of him glared.

"Say that to my face!" The pinkette snapped,

All their attentions snapped sideways, the air shaking as the tornado he had erected was suddenly dispersed in a powerful explosion at its center.

"How about you pay attention to the one who picked the fight!"

The man's head snapped upward, eyes wide as he caught sight of Hora falling the air toward him, her fist brought back and blazing with dark red fire, her eyes dark and face pulled into a disgusted frown. But her clothes weren't even torn or frayed, it was like the wind hadn't even touched her!

"H-how did you get out of that wind without even a scratch?!" he stammered,

"I told you, I'm not using no ordinary fire!" She snapped, "You're telling me how to get to North Wind, even if I have to burn it out of you!" She lift her hands over her head, a bright white hot ball of fire appearing between her hands,

" _Infernium!"_

The ground uplifted as the area around Hora and the man was engulfed in dark fire, the air shaking as bits of earth and rubble were sent flying.

The new arrivals jumped slightly, eyes wide and sweatdropping as the pinkette placed himself in front of the blonde, arms crossing in front of him as he blocked any rubble from hitting her. He hissed, the blonde being nudged back by her Spirit, the blue cat clinging to her in shock.

"This heat..." She mumbled, sweatdropping slightly. "It's almost hotter than Natsu's Magic..."

The flames subsided to reveal a crater in the place the man had been standing, Hora's fist clenched around the man's shirt as she bent down and lifted him up and he struggled to stand, his skin burned and clothes fragmented. He hissed, the section of clothe clenched in Hora's hand smoking as she glared at him,

"North Wind." She hissed, eyes dark and burning in barely muffled fury. Her hand clenched harder, lifting him up as he hissed, struggling against the grip. "Where is it?"

"... tch..... screw you." He growled, "I tell you that... Borealis will kill me... or worse, sick that demon on me." The man hissed, his eyes glinting. "Of course... I'm dealing with something like a demon right now, aren't I?"

Hora stiffened, her face darkening as her jaw clenched. The man's arm lifted, his hand clamping down on her own wrist, his skin burning against the black markings running up her skin.

"I've been around little girl, I've seen this Magic before." He chuckled lowly, lips curling up in a half snarl as Hora's grip about his shirt tightened. "A long time ago... I thought it was long gone until now... but this is definitely it. The same Magic as that demon of a man," Hora face darkened, flames encircling around her other fist as bubbling fiery rage began to rise up inside of her uncontrollably.

"Gelidus Inferniom, the arctic hellfire of the north, isn't that right?"

Hora's face clouded by a deep shadow, her eyes glinting in the most dangerous light as her face contorted into that of unbridled rage, oil dumped to send the fire burning in her soul to burn ever brighter, and suddenly a look of murder on her face, such deepset hatred and rage the man's expression turned to something of horror for a moment. The fire around her encased fist grew hotter, burning an even deeper red it was nearly crimson,

' _You're going to kill him, with all that rage...?'_

"Oi!"

Hora blinked, her eyes widening at the sudden voice as it seemed a small bell suddenly went off in her head at it, like a rush of cool water feel over her head and for a moment, all that burning fire suddenly quelled, her head was clear again.

_Wait.... what...?_

Her eyes slowly moved up and away from the man, blinking in surprise and wonder as her attention settled on the person who had suddenly caught her utmost attention, her eyes meeting onyx ones as she saw a pinkette standing at the edge of the crater, beside him a blonde and a blue cat. She blinked, sweatdropping slightly as she looked up at him, seeing him frowning at her a little, and looking confused himself. She hadn't even known they were there, and she honestly couldn't remember them showing up before now.

"What the hell is going on? Why are you fighting with this guy anyway, huh?" He asked, seemingly undisturbed by how dark her actions had suddenly been plunging. Hora stared, fixed on him.

... _. His... his voice, it snapped me back...._

She sweatdropped more, feeling a sudden flood of panic wash over her.

... _shit, I was... I was gonna kill this guy. Am I really losing it so fast...?!_

The pinkette tilted his head, the blonde beside him looking a little wary, all the while her eyes never left him, and suddenly the fire around her fist went out, her body relaxing as her thoughts clicked together again, breaking free from the sudden burning haze that had been clouding her senses.

... _. This guy... why was it his voice even caught my attention like that? I was so far gone.... Only Sting and Rogue have been able to do that..._

"Oi, what's with your Magic too? That fire of yours is super weird, it tastes kinda funny too." He went on, the blonde beside him sighed a little.

"I guess it was good of you to put the fire burning the city out." She mumbled, "But you didn't have to eat, you know." The pinkette huffed slightly, pointedly looking away from his blonde companion, the both of them seemingly at ease with the violence and the destruction. Hora blinked, head tilting at the comments.

... _eat.... He... he ate my fire.....?_

"So?" the pinkette continued to prod, his arms crossing over his chest as he looked to Hora, eyebrow quirked. "Come on, ya just gonna stand there all day with that guy?" He smirked slightly,

Hora's eyes went wide, a bead of sweat rolling down her face and completely disregarding the man she was still holding in her clenched fist. She recoiled slightly, her body growing rigid as her thoughts clicked together in rapidity, her jaw dropping slightly as she struggled for the words.

_T-That's...?!_

Her eyes snapped between the man and the girl beside him, taking special note of the Guild emblems on their skin in rapid glances.

_Fairy... Fairy Tail..?!_

No way, how did she run into these people all the way out here?! Her eyes snapped back to the pinkette, who was grinning at her slightly as he waited for an answer, oblivious to the look of utter shock on her face.

"Natsu... Dragneel...?!"


	9. Can Fire Put Out Fire?

**Chapter 9**   
**Can Fire Put Out Fire?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Magic I create, and my own original Ideas**

**.:+:** **.**

_... Seriously... Even out in the middle of nowhere I run into Fairy Tail...?! How unlikely is that..?!_

Hora stiffened slightly, her heart jumping a little as she took a step back, panic rising as she averted her eyes from the pinkette, who looked thoroughly surprised after she said his name out of nowhere. Her fist opened to let go of the North Wind Mage, as he hit the floor with a thump and a pained groan, Hora pulled her sleeves down and pointedly placed her foot down on the man's arm so he wouldn't be going anywhere. She felt her heart racing as uneasiness fell over her slightly,

_I was about to murder someone... I almost murdered someone and these three would have seen it if I hadn't been snapped back to reality like that._

"Woah, wait- you know who I am?!" Natsu exclaimed, looking excited as he jumped down into the crater with her, Hora faced him, her expression a little tense as she held on to her arms in front of her, begging the flames to quell more and more, though his voice had done that already, like a sudden wave of water in her very being.

_... H... How did his voice do that...?_

"Ah..." Hora stammered, lost for words for a moment as her uncertainty and discomfort rose at how quickly he closed the distance between the both of them. Seriously, how could he not even look bothered by what she had been about to do? He blinked, head tilted in question at her as she stared.

"What's up?" He asked easily, she sweatdropped a little more.

_Damn it get a handle on yourself, idiot!_

"N-nothing..." She stammered, hooking her arms behind her back as she worked to pull her sleeves down more, almost fussing. "And ah, yes. I have heard of you... From before some of Fairy Tail went missing." She answered quickly.

"Really?" He grinned, "I thought nobody remembered us."

 _It'd be hard not to... Since so many Slayers were lost..._ She banished the thought, and simply nodded slightly

"... You were pretty popular... Salamander..." She mumbled,

"Hehe, I guess we did used to get up to a lot of trouble, huh?" He chuckled,

"And for it the Magic Council wasn't a fan, and we always ended up forfeiting our job money just to pay damages... " Hora's eyes snapped sideways when she heard the blonde sigh the words, looking exasperated at the memory.

"Natsu's the one who always went about destroying whole towns." The Exceed chuckled, "You usually overdo it, Natsu. Though I guess maybe you just can't control yourself, such a shame!"

"Hey!" Natsu snapped, looking a little offended.

"Yeah, but this time the whole place was on fire and it wasn't Natsu's fault for once." The cat went on, Hora stiffened, her eyes falling.

"Ow!" The cat yelped, following the swift smack the blonde landed on his head. "What was that for, Lucy?!"

"Seriously, could you be any more rude?!" She replied in an angry whisper.

_The whole town... I hadn't even noticed it, all my attention was on fighting. I didn't care how out of control I was..._

_'... That much rage is a dangerous thing, especially in you.'_

Hora growled inwardly at the voice, her eyes shifting back up toward the pinkette still smirking at her, expectantly.

"Yeah, your fire's pretty weird stuff, I've never tasted anything like it before." He smiled, patting his stomach with a toothy grin. "I mean, it still tastes pretty good, it's just a little different than normal, and a bit more spicy than other fire I've eaten. You're flames are pretty hot, hotter than normal Mages."

Hora swallowed slightly, sweatdropping a bit still as she blinked at him.

_... Does he just blindly eat whatever flames he happens across... ?_

She supposed maybe it was just a small relief he'd noticed her Magic only tasted 'different', though he still seemed to enjoy it. He could have very easily noticed something else, and she was afraid of what he would have assumed... She growled under her breath, her eyes closing a moment as she willed herself to try and calm down, but the sudden meeting had her reeling...and the realization of what she had been about to do.

_...shit... That could have all been so bad... if his voice hadn't managed..._

"... Well it's not... Ah... Normal Fire Based Magic." She mumbled under her breath, shaking her head slightly and banishing the thought, but not before she realized she had mumbled something unconsciously. She cursed herself in her head, knowing full well with the hearing of a Dragon Slayer her words had been heard.

Hora's eyes opened again, glancing toward Natsu as she saw his head tilt slightly in question.

"... Thanks, for putting the fires out." She mumbled, looking away in flustered embarrassment, and quickly trying to draw away from her comment. "... I got a little carried away."

"No worries." He grinned, "Thanks for the meal." He chuckled, Hora nodded slightly, "So what are you doing out here anyway? You on a job?" He asked, his eyes flicking toward the man still under Hora's foot.

"That's what we're here for, at any rate." The blonde added in, leaning over the edge of the crater with the cat still at her shoulder. She smiled slightly, waving a hand Hora's way. "I'm Lucy, by the way." Hora blinked, her thoughts finally clicking together on the name being spoken a second time.

_... The Celestial Mage..._

She blinked, shaking herself from her thoughts.

"Ah, yeah." She murmured quickly, "I'm on a Job. My name's Horatia." She paused, "...you can call me Hora, though."

"I'm Happy!" The Exceed announced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Hora murmured softly, forcing a small smile. "I'd heard Fairy Tail had returned some of its Members recently."

"Hehe, yeah that's us." Natsu smirked, "You a part of a Guild then?" Hora sweatdropped slightly at the question without meaning to,

"... Tch... Cocky bastards..."

Hora and Natsu's attention snapped downward, hearing the man she was pinning suddenly hiss the words. His eyes glinted up at her in anger and pain, Hora's face fell slightly.

"Tch... Chatting away like that.." He hissed, his eyes flashed in annoyance. "... I hope you do find Borealis, so when you do he kills you..." He growled, his lips pulled in a dangerous, dark smirk for a moment.

"... But I hope you see the burning of a hundred more villages before that happens."

Hora glared, her blue eyes glinting furiously. She drew her foot away, ready to snatch him up in her fists again and demand he tell her where North Wind was- or better yet, burn that stupid grin off his-

She came up short, her eyes wide and sweatdropping in utter shock as Natsu suddenly grabbed the man from the ground himself. The pinkette's eyes glinted in sudden anger and disgust as he held to the collar of his jacket with both hands, his face inches from the man's and fangs bared slightly.

"So you're with the bastards who've been attacking the towns around here?!" The Fire Dragon Slayer hissed lowly, dangerously. The man winced in pain, his eyes glinting in shock at the unexpected action from the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayer.

Hora stood still, slightly stunned at the sudden ferocity that appeared in the Pinkette so suddenly. Maybe it made sense... But something about the sheer anger and slight hatred in him so suddenly hit her like a train. She supposed maybe she hadn't thought of the Fire Dragon Slayer- _the_ Natsu Dragneel- that she had heard of so much as being kind and strong... From all the admiration and the way Sting's eyes gleamed when he told her about him. Natsu had been Sting's role model when he was a kid, and anyone good enough for Sting's admiration had to be... Well, _good._ It was silly but for some reason Natsu Dragneel had seemed so pure... But it was clear now that... He was good maybe, but maybe even the good people could be... Hateful.

_... That rage... And all because of the things North Wind has been doing... For the suffering..._

She bit the inside of her cheek, that was how her anger started... But that's not why she'd lost it just then. Not because of injustice. No... Just pure rage, _malice._

"... Tch... Bug off little Fairy." The man hissed, his tone sneering the word in hateful spite. "That ain't none of your business." Natsu's eyes flashed with a dark fire a moment, his grip on the man's shirt tightened as his fangs ground down on each other.

"You made it my business, bastard!" Natsu snapped hotly, "You and your Guild have been tearin' up peoples lives out here, I'm sure as hell not about to let you get away with it!" Natsu's fist around the man's shirt started to smoke and singe, "You've murdered people, destroyed families and torn down homes, you're gonna pay for all of that! Tenfold!" Hora stood in slight awe, watching as his anger and rage flared all the more and she stood there.

_... Rage... But this is different._

_'... This boy...'_ The voice hissed, cold and low... Almost perplexed in a way.

"... Heh... Why bother..?" The man growled, "I know you ain't gonna kill me, that's not what Fairy Tail does." The man's eyes flicked sideways, Hora stiffened slightly as his attention landed on her. Her eyes flashed, frowning slightly.

For a moment she swore he was about to say something, and something about her. Her eyes narrowed, a warning glare passing over her face a moment. For a minute he seemed to smirk, but there was a flash of fear in his eyes... Just a small flicker.

"... Hehe... Besides, you're all about to be run in anyway." He hissed, his eyes flicking past Hora toward the smoldering ruin of Golio around them.

The small group of Fairy Tailers and Hora stiffened, hearing a sudden wailing on the air of some sort of horn- a sound all too familiar to those of Fairy Tail. Hora blinked, looking slightly confused a moment.

_What the hell is that sound...?_

"... The Knights have been holed up here for weeks, just waiting for the perfect time to swoop in and take the place." The man growled, "You just rang the bell." Natsu growled, looking agitated but also slightly nervous.

"..knights...?" Hora mumbled, eyebrow quirked.

"Oh boy..." Lucy mumbled under her breath.

"... Not again..." Happy sighed,

"... Hehe... You're gonna be so caught up in all the bureaucratic nonsense you won't be able to do a damn thing to stop us." The man growled, "While the Knights sit pretty and hold you here more towns will burn, and more people will d-" the man cut off, Natsu's head snapping forward to bang into his own with a painful thud. Hora jumped, sweatdropping as the man's eyes whited out as all sense was knocked from him in an instant.

"... What in the hell...?!" Hora grumbled under her breath, watching in confusion as the wailing grew louder and so did the sound of people yelling and shouting. Her eyes locked to Natsu, her jaw dropped slightly and reeling as he simply let the man fall from his hands, not at all perturbed by his action, or in pain at bashing his head against someone else's hard enough to knock them senseless.

Her head snapped sideways, seeing people running past the crater,

"Stop! By the order of the Magic Council, we order you to stop!"

Hora's eyes went wide, seeing a large battalion of Robe-clad Magic Council Rune Knights marching up the street quickly in their direction. They shouted out orders, tackling people where they could and pursuing the many that were running.

_Th-this is a raid...?! Since when was the Magic Council around?! And why the hell haven't they been helping?!_

For a moment her anger flared again, and she wanted nothing more than to march right up to those Knights and demand a reason as to why they had just sat back and watched so many people suffer. She would have done so too, she took a step forward, but suddenly someone's hand- warm and hot to the touch against her own warm skin- suddenly grabbed about her wrist, and her anger disappeared again as if someone had thrown a bucket of water over the fire in her soul.

"Time to go!"

She stumbled back, the hand pulling her firmly and with no sign of letting go. She whirled around, eyes wide and stumbling in her sudden running as Natsu pulled her behind him.

He smiled her way, a bright, toothy grin as he dragged her away from the town and away from the shouting of the Rune Knights for them to stop. Lucy and Happy ran alongside them, looking weary as they sweatdropped, not at all pleased they were in this all too familiar situation again.

"Why do we always ended up running from these guys?" Lucy sighed, looking tired of it.

"That's just how we are..." Happy mumbled,

"... What... Why are you dragging me...?!" Hora stammered, sweatdropping as her blue eyes glinted in the twilight overhead, Natsu just kept pulling her along, still grinning her way.

"You're with us now!" He smirked, she blinked in clear surprise and confusion. "You're going after those North Wind guys, right?"

"... Well... Uh... Yes, but..." She mumbled slowly,

"Well we're going after them now too!" Natsu beamed, "So we're gonna work together, Kay?"

Hora stared, eyes glinting as she simply stared at him, continuing to follow his lead as they left Golio and the shouting Rune Knights behind them. He seemed so happy and carefree despite it, and yet... In a way determined.

There was something, some feeling in her chest she wasn't quite familiar with... Something she'd felt seldom before, but she had felt it... and she hadn't expected it now. It felt almost impossible to feel this now.

_... Is this...?_

Slowly, she nodded slightly. Sweatdropping still, and hardly anything to say, but... She nodded to him, her eyes glinting.

"..y-yeah..."

* * *

Hora let out a sigh as they finally slowed to a halt in their running, and fast. It amazed her briefly how full of energy Natsu seemed to be, because even now after an hour or so and being hundreds of miles away in a different city entirely- he didn't look the slightest bit fazed by any of it.

Hora's eyes moved sideways, seeing both Happy and Lucy slumped on the road behind her, muttering to themselves.

"Ah, well! It's late guys, so we better get to it in the morning!" Natsu smirked, leaning back and popping his back, his hands on his hips. Hora blinked, her eyes moving upward toward the deep night sky overhead, her head tilted as she heard Natsu pat his stomach, though she didn't look his way.

"We should grab some grub too!"

"Aye sir..!" Happy agreed breathlessly, perking up slightly.

"... And where do you suggest we get this food?" Lucy grumbled, "Or where we're going to spend the night? Do you even have any idea where we are?" The Blonde grumbled hotly, her hands on her hips as she stood up and faced the pinkette. The few stragglers passing them by on the illuminated street glanced their way in confusion and interest, eyes narrowed and eyebrows quirked at the rather loud group. Hora sweatdropped slightly, catching a few eyes herself as she slowly looked back toward the Fairy Tailers.

Natsu smiled at Lucy, still unbothered by seemingly _everything._

"No clue!" He smirked, Lucy let out an exasperated sigh.

"You're the one who dragged us all the way here, idiot." She grumbled under her breath,

"Come on Luce! Would you have rather have been caught by those Council Guys?" Natsu replied quickly,

"... Ah..." Hora mumbled, a little wary of interjecting in what she was sure was going to become a full-fledged argument, especially as she saw Lucy frown slightly. She stepped up a little, drawing attention to herself though she hated that feeling suddenly. "... T-this is Hellei, in the Kingdom of Veronica, actually... it's a small city about 50 miles from the border..." Hora explained quickly, "... it's close enough to the border that the business owners around here should still accept Jewel..." Natsu, Happy and Lucy all looked toward her in apparent surprise,

 _'You seem nervous addressing them..'_ The cold voice mumbled, almost in amusement... and damn it, it was right. She did feel extremely out of place among these three, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't still reeling from running into them so suddenly, or having been whisked away as she had been. And even more, she was still deeply troubled by how fast she had lost it, and what she would have done if they had not shown up.

".. T-the Kingdom of Veronica..?!" Lucy stammered,

"We ran all the way to a new country?!" Happy gasped,

"Wooahh! How do you know so much, huh?" Natsu beamed, looking impressed and leaning in toward her, Hora leaned back a little to try and keep a good amount of distance between them. Hora swallowed slightly, sweatdropping still as willed her nervousness to settle, if only slightly.

She felt at ease around her Guild and her friends, but when it came to strangers she was still rather nervous and awkward around them, as seen when she first found she was in Lamia Scale. It made it worse she was all on her own, and without the comfort of Sting or Rogue, or even Lector and Frosch around to keep her nerves all the more settled... though perhaps considering the act the rest of the Guild put on for the outside world, maybe it was better they were not around right now. But she hated being all on her own, being that way made her more tense and on edge all on its own, and being around Fairy Tail- and especially a person she had heard about, and put effort into finding herself for her Balance Theory, she was overwhelmed.

Especially considering how friendly and carefree Natsu Dragneel really was, she hadn't been prepared for his somewhat overly enthusiastic look on things, or how easily he seemed to get used to having her here. (He also seemed a bit oblivious, a part of her had to wonder if he could tell she was nervous, or not..)

"... I studied maps and things of the area on my way out here." Hora explained, blinking once or twice. "... and I've been looking for places North Wind's hideout could be, though I've had no luck thus far..."

"That's what you were trying to get out of that man earlier, right?" Happy murmured, floating forward toward her. Hora nodded slightly,

"So you're trying to find North Wind then?" Lucy murmured, Hora glanced her way, "We're out here to find and return a necklace that was stolen from our client in one of their raids. It was a low paying job, so I hadn't thought any other Guilds had sent anyone out here at all."

"Oh yeah!" Natsu butted in, "You said you were part of a Guild right?"

"... Yes." Hora murmured, before pausing slightly

She hated that she paused, but she felt uneasiness suddenly stir inside of her at the prospect of telling which Guild she came from. How would they react? Surely they'd been told about SaberTooth since coming back...

She wrung her hands together behind her back, her blue gaze casting downward a moment.

"... Before we get too invested in talking," She murmured softly, her blue gaze slowly moving toward them again, offering a small smile. "Maybe we had better get off the street first?"

For a minute she saw the look of question appear on Lucy's face, she had the feeling the blonde could tell she was avoiding the subject- though Natsu and Happy grinned without a care.

"And some grub too!" They smiled, Hora nodded.

"... Well alright, it would probably be more comfortable to talk if we get a room." Lucy conceded after a moment, clearly deciding it best to pass over the sudden way which Hora dodged the question. "I suppose we ought to try and find a hotel then... And hope there's rooms available this late." Hora nodded slightly, slowly stepping back as she began her way up the street, her eyes moving away from them as she turned her back, and let out a small sigh.

 _'Avoiding is so like you.. It's tiring.'_ the voice grumbled in her head,

Honestly she felt a bit tired of it sometimes too.

The sound of the Fairy Tailers feet over the pavement sounded on the mostly silent streets as Hora lead the way through the town. Her blue gaze moved from one end of the street to the other, passing few other people by as she kept on the lookout for a place to stay the night.

For a small moment she wondered how Sting would feel if he knew she had met his childhood hero.. She shook the thought off.

Hora slowed a little, her eyes shifting to the right as an Inn suddenly reared up on the street, warm light filtering from the inside and the small tavern that seemed to run out of the front of it. She glanced backward, watching as Natsu and Happy pressed up against the window, their noses twitching at the promise of food being served inside.

".... I'll go see if there are any rooms available." She murmured, Natsu and Happy didn't seem to hear her at all, but Lucy nodded a bit.

"I'll keep an eye on these two." The blonde smiled slightly, Hora nodded in return and turned away, she stepped inside and passed the tavern by, straight to the front desk.

"Ah, hi." Hora murmured, calling attention from the man standing behind the desk itself. He smiled at her, "Do you happen to have any rooms available still?"

"Mmmm.... Yes. Two rooms, double beds. One floor up and below from eachother." He replied after pausing a moment to think on it. Hora blinked, glancing over her shoulder as she spotted Lucy holding Natsu at bay from trying to jump in and eat what food he could find on tables around the tavern. She turned back to the man with a small smile,

"Great, I'll take them both."

'... _do you plan to room with the Celestial Mage?'_ the voice murmured lowly, _'That should be interesting...'_ Hora sweatdropped slightly, telling the voice to promptly _shut it._

"You got it." The man smiled, Hora handed over the money for the rooms with a small smile and slowly turned back toward where the Fairy Tailers were waiting.

She sweatdropped a little more, feeling her heart flutter slightly.

... that damned voice was right though, she knew the girls rooming and the boys rooming was logical.... But even that thought made her nervous. She was friendly enough with most everyone, but she hated being alone, and being by herself now, especially losing it like she was.... She was more guarded and flustered than she usually would be, and it did not help that the people she had run into were members of the Guild she had helped- and risked her life to help, when Jiemma found out about it.

She took in a small breath, hoping it would calm her down a little.

... Lucy seemed nice, though they hadn't really talked... and Hora knew well the blonde had taken notice of her rather dark behavior earlier, though she had said nothing about it. She didn't seem the sort of person that would pass over something like that, at least not in the way the Exceed or Salamander had.

She had also passed over the questions that they had been trying to ask, especially about her Guild.... A small lump fell in her stomach at the thought, she really hadn't a clue how they would react, and a part of her was a little afraid of what bad they may have already heard.

She shook the thoughts off as she smiled, stopping in front of the small band of Fairy Tail Wizards, to which only Lucy looked up as the boy's attention remained fixed to the food.

"I've got two rooms." Hora murmured, smiling just slightly. "I hope you don't mind if we room together?" She asked the blonde, who blinked, before she smiled and nodded.

"Oh that's fine." Lucy replied lightly, "All the better, Natsu and Happy both snore." She added with a chuckle, Hora blinked in slight surprise, before she chuckled a little too.

".... If you'd like, we can order food up to a room, or stay down here." Hora murmured, finally catching Salamander's gleaming eyes. She swallowed a bit, her eyes falling away from him as she sweatdropped. ".... It might be easier to talk if we ate in the room though, it's a bit loud down here." She added as an afterthought, though her hesitation for settling in the tavern was less about the noise, and more about what they would be talking about... it really wasn't going to be the sort of conversation she wanted to be overheard, even in Veronica.

She covered up her sudden flash of nervousness with a small smile, glancing back up toward them as she hooked her arms behind her back self-consciously.

It was a bad habit, and she knew it.

"Sounds good to me!" Natsu grinned, hardly pausing a minute at the suggestion and clearly not noticing any hesitation in Hora at all. Happy smiled to, followed by a softer, gentler smile from Lucy who both nodded.

"That's fine." Lucy smiled,

"Aye sir!" The Exceed grinned, Hora blinked, a little surprised they had agreed so easily... before she let out a silent breath, her smile softening a bit, less forced.

"Great, you guys order whatever you want, my treat." She told them, earning wide, excited eyes from both boys as they smiled at her, grinning brightly.

"Cool! Thanks!" They rushed off to place their order with the front desk, looking maybe a little too excited about the offer, Lucy gave her a nervous smile.

"You're probably going to regret that." The blonde sighed, Hora shrugged slightly. "How much do we owe you for the rooms?"

"Don't worry about that either." Hora replied quickly, shaking her head as Lucy looked surprised, her chocolate brown eyes glinting. Lucy sweatdropped slightly, looking unsure- Hora wasn't though.

She knew Fairy Tail was pressed for money, they hadn't been getting any decent jobs for years, so she figured the trio probably didn't have much on them at the moment any way. Besides, it wasn't like she had anything better to spend it on.... And the pay she was getting for this Job wasn't small, even the bonus she had gotten beforehand was hefty.

"Are... you sure?" Lucy mumbled slowly, Hora nodded.

"I'm sure, it's not a problem, really." She replied easily, Lucy blinked, looking a little wary of such kindness, before she smiled a little, dipping her head to the other girl.

"Thank you, we really appreciate it." The blonde said softly, Hora felt her face heat up, she glanced away in sudden embarrassment.

"... were you going to order anything?" Hora stammered quickly, changing the subject as she flicked her head in the direction of Natsu and Happy. Lucy chuckled, shaking her head.

"I think those two idiots will probably order everything on the menu." The blonde admitted, earning a slightly shocked look from Hora. "I'll just have some of whatever they get."

_The.... The whole menu....?_

She glanced backward over her shoulder, seeing Happy and Natsu leaning against the counter and talking with the foreman, who smiled slightly but looked completely flustered too. She blinked, something about the dopey, excited grin on Salamander's face when he thought about food, and even the way Happy seemed to drool over it..

She felt a flash of sadness pierce her heart in the next instant, but smiled anyway, sadly.

They reminded her a lot of Lector and Sting

* * *

Hora laughed nervously under her breath, sitting crosslegged on the floor at the table, a bead of sweat dripping down her face as she faced the overloaded table- it was covered in so many plates of food that were stacked so high she could barely see the Fairy Tailers over it.

She had lead them up to the second of the two rooms, the other was below them on a lower floor, it was simple and good sized, the floors polished wood and two beds against the wall in the center, with a table near the door. There was a bathroom not far to her right, and straight across from the door was a French door that lead to a balcony, it was slightly ajar so the curtains over it were shifting and she could feel the cool night air wash against her skin.

Natsu and Happy sat on the opposite side of the table from her, with Lucy sitting on the end. The boys were digging in, the numerous plates brought up shortly after they arrived, and Lucy was right- it looked like they had gotten everything off the menu. The blonde was smiling nervously, looking flustered and somewhat agitated as she shot the boys a disgruntled look a moment, they hardly noticed it though, and Lucy turned her attention to a plate she picked out for herself.

Hora sat still, sweadropping as she held a bowl of spicy ramen in her lap, the chopsticks loosely held in one hand as she watched them for a few moments.

They actually... they even ate like Lector and Sting did, it was almost as if they were the same people.

... or maybe it was just an Exceed and Dragon Slayer thing.

"Thi' isf goodf!" Natsu exclaimed around a full mouth, looking absolutely blissful. Happy looked nearly as content, though his mouth was so stuffed he could hardly chew, but his tail flicked behind him happily as an indicator.

"You two are unbelievable." Lucy murmured in between bites of her own food, Hora smiled to herself, slowly shaking off her attention on them and turning to the bowl in her lap, she started to eat slowly.

A part of her had wanted to maybe just eat some ice cream, maybe to try and quell the fire inside some more.... but that wouldn't last her long, and as insane as it was.... That fire was hardly a smolder. It didn't seem possible, and yet it was.

They sat in content silence for awhile just enjoying their own meals, until she was a little over halfway done with her own food, and Natsu finally looked up, taking a brief pause in stuffing food into his mouth.

"Ah, Hora!" He called across the table, earning her eyes instantly as she felt her heart jump a little. Her dark blue gaze snapped up to land on him, "You said you were part of Guild right? Which one?"

That was one of the questions she didn't want to answer, and she felt her stomach clench in a knot as it was asked again.

"Yeah, you said you were working a job too!" Happy butted in, "What's it about? You're tracking North Wind for a reason, right?"

In seconds there were not only one, but two questions she felt herself hesitate to answer, her stomach wove itself into a tighter knot as she did her best not show any outward discomfort- she could feel Lucy's eyes on her, and already it was clear the blonde was quite a bit more perceptive than her two other Guild-mates.

She slowly set the chopsticks together across the top of the bowl, her eyes falling away from them as she slowly set it on top of the table, buying herself a few precious seconds as she swallowed, hard.

These three had been a part of those missing for the last seven years, so they hadn't come to know (or more accurately) hate SaberTooth as the rest of Fairy Tail had. It was no secret SaberTooth and Fairy Tail were on bad terms, they had been that way for near seven years, and SaberTooth's act didn't help lessen tensions. For Jiemma's sake, the Guild had acted harshly and ruthlessly toward those in Fairy Tail and all the other Guilds, they were never kind, and she knew well the members of Fairy Tail who had been left behind were no fans. She hadn't a hard time imaging the stories that the returning Members had been told since arriving back, especially if they had discussed the Grand Magic Games already. They were sure to know.... If not from their own Guild, they would have certainly heard something from the public, and SaberTooth's infamous reputation.

And to add on top of that, she has reservations about telling them why she was out here and why she was hunting North Wind. To get into it, she'd have to tell them she was sent to hunt down and destroy not just the Guild, but the Demon of Zeref under the Master's command. And to explain why she of all people in Fiore had been sent to contend with such a beast? That would open a whole other set of questions she wasn't comfortable at the prospect of answering.

She bit the inside of her cheek, but she couldn't in good conscience lie to them about it all. She hid things, sure... she'd had secrets her whole life, but she didn't choose to outright lie to anyone, she was a sincere sort of person... and something told her they might actually just notice if she did lie to them straight out.

_I'll just... have to try and be careful about what I say.... And hope they don't react badly._

Hora nodded slightly, her eyes slowly trailing back up toward Salamander as she smiled, just a little, maybe to try and reassure herself.

"Yeah, I'm actually a member of SaberTooth..." She answered slowly, sweatdropping as she saw all three of the Fairy Tailers eyes widen in sheer shock.

"S-SaberTooth..?" Lucy stammered,

"Wha?! Seriously?!" Natsu explained, leaning forward in near animation as his jaw dropped a bit, Hora nodded in confirmation, her smile a bit strained now.

"Yeah," She smiled,

"... everyone at the Guild told us about SaberTooth." Lucy murmured, sweatdropping slightly. "They... they weren't really big fans..."

"They said you guys were a bunch of jerks." Natsu said plainly, though he didn't look perturbed by the sudden news, only interested. Lucy flinched at his word, her hand smacking against his shoulder roughly as he flinched back from her. "Oi, what was that for Luce?!"

"You are such an idiot!" Lucy snapped haughtily,

"I-It's alright, Lucy." Hora intervened quickly, holding her hands up and shaking her head. "It's not a big deal, I already know SaberTooth has a pretty bad reputation. Especially with Fairy Tail." Lucy blinked, sweatdropping still as she seemed to bite the inside of her cheek. "I get why you're Guild Mates don't like us all that much... they have reason to, so I'm not offended or anything."

"You don't seem like a big old meanie though, Hora." Happy piped up,

"Yeah, you're nice!" Natsu smirked, "You bought us all this food, a jerk wouldn't do that." She smiled slightly,

"... thanks, I'm glad you don't think I'm a jerk." She chuckled slightly,

"I'm sorry, I know it's wrong to jump to conclusions about a whole group of people we've never met." Lucy murmured,

"It's alright." Hora murmured, sweatdropping slightly. "... I mean.... We kinda are jerks." She sighed, ".... We're competitive, but most of us are good people at heart... we just have a hard time showing it."

Again, how was she supposed to explain it?

_I can't_

Lucy smiled slightly, her chocolate gaze glinting as she nodded a little. "So, you said you were out here on a job?" She asked softly, "I didn't think there were many jobs coming in for what's been going on out here, at least, not to a bigger Guild like SaberTooth."

"You said you were chasing those North Wind guys, but what for?" Natsu asked, "They steal something else?"

".... It's not that sort of Job." Hora murmured slowly,

She didn't think it a good idea to mention the actual assignment- to kill the Demon of Zeref. Even mentioning that she was out here to disband the Guild, especially all on her own... that would leave her walking a fine line.

' _So lie, you're good at it.'_

She swallowed against the voice.... She didn't like it, but maybe it was true.

"I'm on a Job for the Magic Council, actually." She started, earning looks of shock and surprise. "I was sent to find a way into North Wind's base, and I've been moving from town to town trying to find more information on their Guild Hall."

_Not a complete lie then.... I am here for the Council. I am looking for North Wind, and I have been looking for a way into the Guild Hall.... and that's all they need to know._

And maybe it wasn't entirely because she was afraid the questions they would ask.... A part of her was also wary of what they would do if she told them she was here to destroy the Guild. Would they offer to help? She couldn't have that.... Not just because of her own secrets, or what Jiemma would think if they did.... It was safer if they didn't, and besides;

_This is my Job.... This is what I'm supposed to do, I can't fail again._

"It's been enchanted to transport itself between several hidden locations, so getting inside and finding it is almost impossible." She explained, pushing away her reservations and her inner thoughts. "The actual Members of North Wind have some way of getting to and from their Guild Hall, but I haven't figured out how just yet. I'm still looking."

"That's..... how does someone transport an entire Building?" Lucy mumbled allowed, her eyes lighting up in wonder at the very idea. Hora shrugged slightly,

"No idea how it works, but that's how they're doing it."

"That's kinda cool." Natsu commented, "So that guy you caught earlier, you thought he had a way in?"

"If he did, I'll never know.." Hora mumbled, "He's in the Council's custody right now, and I doubt he'll talk."

"Sorry we interrupted you, then." Lucy smiled nervously. Hora blinked.

_No.... I'm glad you interrupted me. If you hadn't..._

"No worries." She replied evenly, "You guys said you were looking for a stolen necklace, right?"

"Yep!" Natsu grinned, "We've been chasing a few of those guys around, but we haven't found it yet." Hora nodded slightly, her eyes narrowed as she tapped a finger to her chin.

' _Are you considering..?'_

"..... hmm, well... since we're both looking, we can track down some of the North Wind Mages together." She said lightly, "Hopefully we can manage to find this necklace, and in the meantime I can keep collecting more information." She paused though, realizing she had started speaking her thoughts aloud without consciously meaning to. She blinked, her hand falling from her face as she smiled nervously,

"O-oh, that's if.. you don't mind working together.."

She wasn't even sure why the thought had appealed to her so suddenly, nervous as she was around the three.... She secretly didn't want to leave them. Not when just being around the Salamander snapped her back to reality, where hardly anyone had managed it before. She was losing herself, more quickly than she should have- and it was certainly because of what an awful emotional high she had been on when she left. She couldn't keep her head from falling to those damned dark thoughts, and she had been quickly losing self-control, until them.

She still didn't know how Natsu's voice had settled what dark, burning rage had clouded her head. She didn't know how it was possible the flames had settled... and yet they had. She was thinking more clearly than she had in weeks, and as insane as it was- it was because of him. Just being near him seemed to put her back in the right headspace... and she didn't want to lose herself again like she almost had.

The Fairy Tailers looked surprised at the sudden suggestion, their eyes glinting and completely silent for a few, scarce seconds that instantly made her regret she had said it all aloud at all.

She stiffened, her eyes widening as they all smiled at her, Natsu's lips pulling into a toothy grin that sent a small pulse of... warmth, pleasant warmth, through her core.

"That sounds good to me!" He smiled,

"We can pay you back for the rooms and food by helping you out." Lucy smiled brightly, "And you're help finding the necklace would be nice, too."

She wasn't sure what to feel, or even think.... She wasn't sure it was possible anyone would have agreed to work with a rival Guild so easily. Let alone _SaberTooth._

Let alone work with her. Especially after what she had been about to do... and she knew Lucy had seen that darkness. How could she not? So why did the blonde, the pinkette and the Exceed look so happy and carefree at the idea of working with her? It wasn't.... it didn't feel like politeness, or formality. As insane as it was.... It felt genuine... but why?

'... _That Ice Mage was not wary of you either._ ' The voice intoned, less gruffly and less sternly than it had been the entire time. It was soft, gentle almost.... She hadn't heard it sound like that in very, very long, and it set her heart aflutter despite herself.

* * *

_"You're thinking too much into it." Sting told her, "You're over-exaggerating things in your head, Hora."_

_"You do that often, actually." Rogue told her, she narrowed her eyes, head tilting._

_"What?"_

_"You over-think things, and blow situations out of proportion in your head on occasion. Like you always expect the worse." Rogue explained, Hora's jaw dropped slightly, her hands dropping too._

_"You're very optimistic, but only outwardly." Sting put in, Lector smirked and nodded his head._

_"This is how optimistic you appear to be," Lector said, holding his arms out wide, before sighing and smirking softly. "But this is how optimistic you actually are, Atia." He drew his paws in together to a small distance, Hora blinked, sweatdropping._

* * *

****

_Are.... Are you telling me I overthink things too? That I jump to the worst conclusion... think the worst things... without need...?_

For once, as ever prepared to cast around it's opinion- it didn't reply, even as she addressed it.

She blinked, her eyes still locked to the Fairy Tailers and their bright, content smiles.

She wished.... She wished she could feel happier about it, their willingness to work with her... but in that instant, she saw Rogue, Lector, Frosch and Sting smiling at her, and her heart broke into a few more pieces.

_Am I ever going to see them again... I wonder....?_

She forced a smile, though it wasn't so forced maybe, nodding to the Fairy Tailers as her deep blue gaze shone.

"Great. I look forward to working with you three."

* * *

Hora leaned back against the bedframe, her eyes falling closed as she crossed her arms behind her head, the sound of the shower turning on in the bathroom flooding her senses a moment. Lucy had gone inside after telling Hora she planned to take a shower, she had simply smiled and nodded as the blonde disappeared behind the closed door.

There was a silence that settled in the room, the night outside a deeper dark as midnight neared, Natsu and Happy had gone to their own room and from the lack of noise below, she assumed they had already fallen asleep- probably to sleep off what immense amount of food they had stuffed in their faces.

She smiled slightly at the thought, though a bit sadly still.

The silence was... pleasant. Usually quiet was unnerving, not being able to hear the people she was with... since not hearing that meant she was alone, but the hum of the water and the faint, imperceptible whistle of the breeze outside was soothing in it's own way, and the sudden silence in her head from the voice wasn't unpleasant either. She found herself feeling more relaxed than she had since... well, well before everything that had happened with Jiemma and Over-Drive.

The minutes ticked away as she remained leaning against the frame, her eyes still closed as the coolness of the outside air danced over her face from the open doors.

She jumped, her head snapping up and her heartrate picking up at the sudden jingling and buzzing that erupted in the blissful quiet of the room. She sat up with a start, her blue eyes glinting as she looked around the room quickly, trying to find the source of the noise as her attention landed on the glow coming from a... a card that Lucy had set on the nightstand next to the bed she planned to use.

Hora leaned over, her head tilted as she saw the face lit up and dancing with the word's 'Cana Calling!'

Her eyes snapped around, unaware the sound of the shower had ceased and seeing Lucy appear in the doorway, her hair still damp and dressed in her pajamas. Lucy hummed slightly, noticing the noise and the glow of the card as she walked out.

"Uh... that just... went off..." Hora murmured, Lucy sighed a little.

"Cana... she's probably drunk." Lucy grumbled, though not with any true anger or annoyance in her voice. She stepped across the room and sat down on the bed, picking the card up from the nightstand, her finger tapping lightly to the center as the ringing stopped and Hora spotted flashes of a brunette smirking on the cards surface suddenly.

"Hey Luce!" The other woman smiled, her cheeks dusted pink as Lucy smiled slightly.

"Hello Cana." Lucy sighed, Hora watched, her eyes riveted to the card and blinking.

"Where did you and Natsu run off to, huh? Romantic getaway?" 'Cana' smirked mischievously, Lucy blinked in surprise at the question, blushing slightly herself as she frowned a little.

"As if!" Lucy snapped back,

"Cana, you know they went on a job near the border." Another voice broke in, small glimpses of a girl with long white hair shone behind the brunette, who blinked, smirking.

"Course I know that, doesn't mean they aren't up to something steamy!" Cana chuckled,

"Cana!" Lucy snapped, looking more flustered by the minute.

"Ah, don't get all bent up in a twist!" Cana smiled, "I was just checkin' in, don't gotta get all angry!" Lucy frowned a little, but Cana hardly seemed to care. "So? How are things? Finish the job yet?"

"No, we're still working on it." Lucy replied, "We've stopped for the night, we'll pick back up in the morning." She paused, "How is training going?" The blonde asked,

"Ah, great!" Cana smiled, "Mira really kicked Elfman's ass today~"

"Hey!" A voice snapped from the background, Lucy and Cana both chuckled at it.

"You training hard?" Cana asked, Lucy sighed.

"We'll start training after we finish this job... I think we're gonna meet up with the rest of our team and Levy's team for it." Lucy replied, Hora blinked, for the first time looking up from her wonder in the card toward the surprise at the mention of training.

"Don't waste too much time, we've only got a few months to catch up." Cana smiled,

"Tell me about it..." Lucy sighed, sweatdropping slightly. Cana chuckled,

"Well, I'm gonna get back to drinkin'! See ya, Luce!"

"See ya, Cana." Lucy smiled, the card falling dark as whatever Magic had been transmitting the image suddenly ceased. Hora found herself looking at the card again though, and didn't even notice when Lucy glanced her way.

".... What... what is that?" Hora asked quietly, Lucy blinked,

"You mean the card?" The blonde mumbled, Hora nodded. "Oh, it's a Calling Card. Cana uses Card Magic, she enchanted this one to be able to connect with one of the ones she has, so we can stay in touch." Lucy smiled, Hora blinked, a look of awe appearing across her face that Lucy tilted her head at.

"... That's.... really freakin' cool..." Hora murmured under her breath, Lucy smiled a little at the comment. She held the card out toward the Saber girl, Hora glanced up at her in slight surprise.

"You can see it, if you want." Lucy smiled, Hora blinked, before smiling back and taking the card up in her hands, delicately almost. She flipped it over in her hands, her fingers gracing along the edge of it as she focused on what faint Magic she could feel coming from the card, her blue eyes shining in awe and wonder as Lucy watched her with a small smile, finding it amusing and somewhat adorable she seemed to transfixed on something so simple.

"She uses Card Magic?" Hora asked, still tracing the card with her eyes.

"Yep."

"I've never heard of that... or seen something like this... it's like a portable Communication Lacrima." Hora murmured, "And without all the heavy crystal's balls and stuff... this is really, really cool."

Lucy laughed, earning Hora's eyes as the Saber girl blinked,

".. sorry, I'm just surprised you're so interested by it." Lucy smiled, shrugging a little. "I guess I'm just used to it though, but I thought it was cool the first time she showed me one too."

"Hehe... I guess I'm amazed by the small things." Hora smiled, her eyes falling to the card again.

It had never occurred to her that you could enchant paper to act like a Communication Lacrima, let alone a card that connected to another card..... which as odd, considering Drille and her own special version of Picto Magic in a sense.

Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

... _. Huh.... Could I maybe...?_

She smiled, handing the card back to Lucy with a small thanks. The blonde took it, replacing it on the table as she lift her arms above her in a stretch, yawning.

"Oh man.... All that running tired me out." The blonde mumbled through the yawn,

"We did run a long ways." Hora sighed,

"Yeah, to an entirely different country." Lucy sighed, Hora smiled slightly as she leaned back, her eyes falling closed. "... Hey, Hora?"

"...Yeah?"

"... I was just wondering, why does everybody think SaberTooth is this big, bad Guild?" She murmured, "Everyone at Fairy Tail said you guys were.... Well, harsh." Hora blinked her eyes open, ".. But you're nothing like that, so I don't quite get it. I haven't met anyone else in your Guild I suppose... but they made it sound like everyone in SaberTooth was mean."

_Again with that question...._

Hora leaned forward again, her legs crossed atop the bed as she rest her hands in her lap, biting the inside of her cheek a little.

There wasn't a good way to explain it, not without talking about Jiemma and his brutality... and she doubted anyone coming from a Guild like Fairy Tail could fathom a Master as cruel as that bastard was, let alone fathom why everyone in the Guild was a different person out in the world than they truly were themselves.

She felt that knot in her stomach again, and swallowed against it.

"... Fairy Tail's planning to participate in the GMG, right?" Hora asked quietly, Lucy blinked, before nodding slightly.

"Yeah."

"... have you ever noticed, that sometimes you don't really know what a person's like... unless you become close to them?" Hora asked, "... SaberTooth is kinda like that. They all come off as mean and cold and cocky... but that's not how they actually are. But the only way anyone can see that is if they get close to us... and not many people do." She sweatdropped a little more, ".... You probably won't like anyone else in SaberTooth when you meet them, and I can't just... make you see what kind people they are deep down. I can just tell you, that who you see on the outside is nothing like who they are on the inside." She smiled a bit wearily, her eyes not moving up to meet Lucy's.

".. as for me... I'm just a bit more open is all. I guess..." She sighed, "When the GMG rolls around, try not to take how my Guild acts to heart. With the exception of... two of them.... all the rest of them aren't bad people at heart. Though how they act will probably make you think differently." Hora smiled nervously, her eyes glinting as she rubbed the back of her neck, smiling apologetically for a moment. "Sorry I can't explain it better than that... it's just complicated."

Lucy looked at her for a few long moments, seemingly mulling over what she had been told and trying to piece it all together. She wasn't sure why, but she swore she saw sadness appear across Hora's face for but a split second, but why would it be there?

"... Alright." Lucy said after a bit, deciding to drop the subject- to which Hora was thankful for. ".... Well, anyway... I'm tired, so I think I'm gonna go to sleep." Lucy murmured, Hora nodded.

"Alrighty," She smiled, "I'm gonna stay up a bit longer, but I'll be extra quiet, promise." Lucy blinked, before nodding a little.

"Hehe, thanks."

* * *

Hora was leaned over the stone railing of the balcony, the wind shifting her hair slightly as she drew the pen across the paper with purpose, outlining the face of the cards she was making, decorating (unneeded of course, but she was the sort of person who didn't do things only half-way) the edges of the face with swirling, intricate patterns. The stroke of the pen across the paper was relaxing in it's own way, and she had erected more design and detail across the stiff paper without even thinking about it. She set the pen down, her finger tracing along the outline of the card as her skin stained dark a moment, golden flame dancing onto the page and separating the cards from the unneeded strips of paper at the end, and curling inward across the paper but not consuming it, adding a splash of color to the originally black and white patterns as sections of it stained blues and reds and greens and gold all at once, the surface shining as if the paper had been polished and glossed.

The door was closed to the room behind her, dark and silent, she could only faintly hear Lucy's soft breathing as the blonde slept on.

She smiled slightly, setting to two identical and now fully finished cards to the side as she took up the pen again, her strokes working across the paper to create that same illustration of bird she had made so many times before now. She moved to another piece of paper when she was done, jotting down a few words and folding the paper, before placing it in an envelope along with one of the cards from before, then closing the top and setting the pen aside for good.

She picked up the paper with the bird, her face illuminated in the dim by the flash of golden flame. The paper was eaten away by the fire, but the flames kept away from the lines of the bird she had drawn- eating everything but the illustrated animal- there was bright yellow orange flash and suddenly Hora's hand fell away, the illustration puffing up into substance, the wings beating as she now suddenly alive bird flapped in air before Hora, its wings dancing with small flames and embers that refused to eat away its still paper body.

"Hello, Drille." She said softly, quietly.

"Hello Miss." The bird chirped back happily, it's tone low and quiet mimicking her own immediately. "Would you like me to deliver another message for you?"

"Yes, please." Hora murmured, picking up the envelope. "Give this to Sting and Rogue would you?" Drille plucked the envelope from her fingers easily, "If Minerva's around, don't bother delivering it. And if she's not, and they aren't awake when you get there, just stick it in Rogue's bag and don't bother waking them up, kay?"

"Of course." Drille chirped, "Would you like me to hurry, Miss?" Hora blinked at the question, before smiling softly.

"If you could." She smiled softly,

"Yes Miss!" Drille snapped around, flapping away in a rush of speed he hadn't had before when in Lamia. Hora smiled slightly, the paper flame bird out of sight in seconds and she rest her elbows on the railing, leaning her chin into her hand as her eyes fell closed.

She never sent them letters or anything while they were away training for the Games, that was because Minerva's strict rules kept the entire team in isolation, and nay attempt Hora made at contact would have been deemed misconduct and punished. But maybe with Minerva gone on that same mission that forced Yukino into the games, she might just manage to contact them... and her heart sorely hoped she could.

Especially so, with how much she feared this Job would keep her away from them... maybe forever.

"Hey, you still up?"

Hora jumped slightly, her head snapping downward toward the sudden voice, seeing Natsu's eyes gleaming up at her as he looked up from the balcony below. She blinked a few times, her mind having a hard time processing the fact he was there,

".. Hmm?" She hummed, he blinked, before lightly jumping up onto the railing of the balcony he was on, and then easily jumping to the one she was on. He took a seat on the railing next to her, as she turned slightly in his direction, her eyes glinting in the dim.

"You smell kinda familiar, you know." He said, kind of out of nowhere. Hora blinked,

"What do you mean?"

"Mmm... I don't know. I can't place it, you smell like fire and ash, but there's something under that... something sweeter, cooler maybe." She sweatdropped slightly, before quirking an eyebrow.

"... does it bother you? My scent?" She asked, he blinked at the somewhat odd question. "Rogue and Sting have never complained."

".... You know those guys?" He asked, his eyes lighting up in familiarity at the names. She didn't doubt his Guild had told him about not just SaberTooth, but it's star team as well.

"We're in the same Guild, Salamander." She replied softly,

"That's not what I meant." He mumbled, she sighed slightly.

"... yes, we're friends." She answered softly. He nodded a little, his eyes narrowing as he glanced away.

"... I think you smell nice." He said, Hora blinked, blushing slightly despite herself, not expecting an answer to her earlier question, and surely not _that_ answer.

"Ah..." She stammered, he didn't seem to notice.

"... you were gonna kill that guy, weren't you?" He asked quietly, his eyes moving toward her and expression unreadable as she went entirely rigid. "The North Wind guy, right before we got there."

Hora's eyes narrowed, sweatdropping heavily as she bit the inside of her cheek. She had known Lucy had noticed how dark her behavior had become, but she hadn't thought Natsu noticed it, at all... and being questioned about it so suddenly sent her heart speeding up.

_So does he... just act oblivious on purpose...?_

"..... I....." She trailed off before any real sentence could be formed, swallowing slightly, and damn it- ashamed. "........ well.... I thought about it... but I..." Her eyes fell away from him, leaning against the balcony with her elbows again as her head bowed slightly.

".... I'm sorry." She mumbled quietly, her eyes fixed to her hands and missing the blink of surprise from the pinkette at the words. ".....I wish I could... say no... but I just.... Lost it, even for a few seconds.... If you hadn't showed up I would have... and I hate that." Her voice broke slightly, she could feel the sheer, deep, razor sharp cold settling in her core... this was that feeling, hate. And it was hate for herself.

"..... I know it isn't right. I don't want to be that person.... But I can't really help it..... it's just..... my Magic... it makes.... Me...." Her voice fell away entirely,

She didn't even know why she just admitted it, she didn't know why she was trying to convince him either.... she couldn't, because she knew it was wrong and he knew it too. She supposed a part of her was just trying to console herself, but it did little good.

"Your fire felt dark, it tasted like that too. Almost... not natural, twisted." He murmured, Hora's hands clenched together, her eyes shutting tight against the words she knew were all too true. She didn't even notice nor register the fact that his voice had not raised, nor did he sound angry, she just felt her own hatred for herself and what a monster her Magic could make her rise all the higher.

Why did she care so much though? That he knew? That he felt it? She was usually ashamed and angry with herself for her Magic.... But she had never been ashamed because of what someone else knew about it.... Grant you, Natsu was the only one who had eaten her Magic, and was probably the only one that felt how dark an evil it was, so deeply ingrained, and not just as a faint feeling on the air.

"... but you've been so nice and kind since then." He murmured softly, she stiffened slightly, her eyes snapping open in surprise. "You do smell good.... And I don't feel tense around you either. You're Magic felt weird, but I don't think you're as dark a person as your Magic feels. It was like you weren't you or a split second... but you've been you since. Nice. Gentle." Her eyes moved toward him, wide and frozen as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little pensive but not at all angry or even uneasy. "You're actually a really nice person, so I guess I'm just surprised you're Magic feels so different from how you really are..... is that why it's hard for you? Cause you're Magic's really freakin' strong, I mean- I haven't felt anyone's Fire as hot as yours before. If you're Magic is dark and you're not, do you have a hard time staying who you are because it's so powerful?" He sighed slightly, "Geez.... I haven't thought this hard about anybody's Magic in a long while, my head kinda hurts doin' it." He chuckled slightly, finally glancing Hora's way as he stiffened, his eyes widening slightly as his jaw went a little slack.

Hora couldn't look away from him, her gaze riveted as she held her arms lightly, her heart fluttering and uncaring of what stream of tears fell from her eyes, glittering in the faint moonlight and what little light glittered from the town below them. Her core felt warm, gently warm, not a raging fire, it was pleasant warm, that same warm she felt when she was with Sting and Rogue and Frosch and Lector..... but this warmth was brighter, lighter.

Sting and Rogue had always made her feel like she was human, that she was more than the monster her Magic made her. They made her body ache less, her heart hurt less.... But she had always hated herself and hated to think what they would do if they found out what her Magic really was, what she really was.

But she had never felt this.... Like maybe she wasn't a monster. That it was just her Magic... and not her. She'd never had anyone tell her that, that she was kind and gentle and that she wasn't dark. That she was separate entirely from her Magic and her Magic hadn't tainted her, destroyed her and broken her down into something evil.

Nor had anyone ever thought to separate her from her Magic, or understood what it did to her like Natsu seemed to in that instant. No one had seen past the dark and twisted, to just see her, believe there was someone under all of it.... Or at least, no one had ever made that distinction so apparent.

She couldn't place this feeling.... It was like relief and shock and sadness and.. happiness, all at once.

"H-huh..?" He stammered, looking entirely unsure on what to do when he saw the tears falling from her eyes. His eyes flashed, his hands moving up slightly as he stumbled for something to say or do. "W-what? What did I say? I wasn't tryin' to-!"

He went rigid, Hora head falling as her arm moved out toward him, her fist lightly pressing against his chest as she stood in stillness, he blinked rapidly, unsure what the gesture was or what it even meant.

She lightly tapped her fist against his chest, ever so softly as she shook her head, her eyes moving back up toward him as she smiled, her tears having already come to a halt.

"... you didn't say anything wrong, Salamander." She said softly, her eyes glinting. He blinked, sweatdropping. ".... It's just... no one's ever separated who I was from what my Magic is.... I've never..... but in your own weird way.... You said everything _right_." She smiled a little more, he stared, seeing the gentleness appear in her features, the relief. She chuckled a little, her tears coming to a complete halt as she grinned at him slightly. "I thought you were a little clueless before Salamander.... But you're actually pretty great." She laughed, just once, her hand falling away from his chest as she wiped at her eyes softly, before crossing her arms over her chest and taking in a low, slow breath.

Natsu blinked, his mind having a hard time catching up with the sudden development and entirely unsure why his words seemed to have such an impact on her.

"... you... ok..?" He mumbled, not able to come up with anything better in response. She nodded to him, still smiling and more relaxed than he had seen her yet. He blinked again, his jaw closing from having dropped.

He didn't get why what he said seemed to make her happy, and yet so sad all at once.... But he did see how relaxed she was now, less tense, and there was happiness there, and relief.... And honestly he was a little happy she seemed to have perked up a little, especially since in hindsight something he said had made her actually cry. He felt a bit bad about that, but it dissipated when she continued to smile at him... a genuine smile.

For a minute he swore he had seen her somewhere before, but like her scent, he couldn't place what was familiar.

"... well, whatever I said.... I guess... I'm glad you liked it..?" He stammered, smiling nervously himself.

"We're gonna get along just great, Salamander." Hora murmured softly, catching him by slight surprise at the sudden confirmation. "It'll almost be sad to have to cheer against you at the Games." He smiled slightly at that,

"Oi, don't go thinking we're gonna lose to SaberTooth." He countered easily,

"Hehe... I'm excited to see you give it your all." She murmured,

_I want to be there..... the Games, not just because of Yukino, or Sting or Rogue.... I actually do want to be there, I have a feeling this year's Games are going to be something spectacular._

The fire in her soul burned brighter, stronger. Resolve, and it was quickly coupled by that rising sense of icy cold.

_So.... That's decided then. There's gonna be no losing, no losing to North Wind and no losing myself either.... I'm gonna win, and I'm gonna do it in time for the Games._

' _Hmph, you've finally found your flame to follow ** **?'****_


	10. Jeihel

**Chapter** **10**   
**Jeihel**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy** **Tail** **or its characters, only my own OC's, Magic I create, and my own original Ideas**

**.:+:** **.**

_She couldn't see the color of her skin under the pitch, jagged black that covered every inch of it. The black stretched up her hands, her arms, she could feel it's heat as it crawled up her neck, curling over her jaw and just under her eye, too hot, burning like an inferno- and yet it didn't hurt, she couldn't feel it... she couldn't feel anything, she was numb, emotionless._

_Cold_

_She was scratching at the walls, jerking at the chains that kept her pinned under what insane fire was clouding her senses, she saw the blood, red bursting brightly against the black.... so much of the crimson liquid, it was everywhere, and it wasn't hers._

_She was screaming, begging and pleading- she had to get herself under control, what part of herself that hadn't been swallowed up by that darkness was bound and helpless in some small, deep, faraway section of her soul- too far away to stop herself... to stop herself from what murder and slaughter she was committing._

_Kill, maim, burn... burn it all to the ground, every last soul, every last fiber of what was living, breathing. She was numb to it, even relished in it- the screams, the terror, the pain-_

_Stop it!_

_She couldn't make it past the burning dark, she couldn't settle those murderous flames, she was losing herself... she had already lost._

_She had finally... turned into it.... a monster_

_Demon_

* * *

 

Hora stifled the panicked gasp she nearly let loose, her eyes snapping open to see the night sky overhead, the sound of the wind whistled through the grass and the sparse few trees, the call of some nocturnal creature sounded from far off.... it was quiet.

She sat up quickly, her hands moving in front of her as she stared down at them, her eyes shinning and no small shred of relief falling over her heart when she saw the tan color of her skin, and not the stained, tar-black and blood.

Her hand's clenched, pressing them against her chest as her head bowed, her teeth gritting and eyes shut tight. She felt a small twinge of pain run through her core, and sorely hoped she wouldn't end up coughing because of it.

_... damn it..... those dreams again... I haven't had them in so long..... fuck...._

_'Calm down.'_ The voice murmured lowly, she felt a flash of sheer rage run through her in that next instant though.

_Shut the hell up, you're no goddamn help, you don't_ _**get** _ _to tell me to calm down!_

_'.... the night air is cool, there is no fire.'_ It pressed, regardless of her snapping at it. Hora sweatdropped, her eyes narrowed to slits as her eyes landed on the grass, shining silver in the moonlight overhead.

 _'... You understand why the dreams have come again, don't you?'_ It asked slowly, calmly. Hora stiffened, her jaw clenching.

_'You can feel it... smell it... it's getting closer.'_

She shook her head furiously, ignoring it now completely and not giving the satisfaction if it were to say anything again. She didn't have the patience... not right now.

Her eyes moved sideways, smiling softly when she spotted Lucy, Natsu, and Happy laying out on the grass together- Lucy tucked away in her sleeping bag while Natsu and Happy invaded her space in their sleep, but the blonde didn't wake up... In fact Hora saw small wisps of a smile on her face instead. She let out a low breath, her panic falling as she looked toward them, before turning away and getting to her feet quietly.

She had no real want to go back to sleep, not if it would land her in that dream again... So she'd walk a bit.

She and the Fairy Tailers had set out that morning, crossing back over into their own Country from Veronica as they headed back toward the area in which North Wind had been running rampant. They wouldn't be near anywhere where they could sniff out another North Wind Mage until a bit after they started off again, so after having been walking the entire day they had stopped for the night.

The Fairy Tailers were pleasant, and kind. She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy their company, and though she was still a bit nervous at times- even she had warmed up to them rather quickly. Lucy was the more level-headed and mature of the three, though she seemed to have a short temper at times (mostly at the teasing from the boys, or their foolish tendencies), she was kind though, and friendly... And snap as much as she did, Hora could still see that Lucy cared for Natsu and Happy deeply.

Happy was a goofball and a bit oblivious maybe, but he was cheerful and had an innocence that reminded her of Frosch... But also a mischievous side that was oh so much like Lector.

And Natsu, he was energetic and maybe a bit oblivious too- but friendly and funny. It still caught her off guard at how at ease he seemed with her, there was hardly a time he wasn't without that toothy grin of his.... But given what he said last night, she liked him, a lot, and she smiled back. _Genuinely._

Despite herself she quickly started treating him a bit more roughly, poking fun at him and teasing where usually she would have kept more manners and politeness with other people. She had even had to catch herself earlier, before she knocked her fist against his shoulder- a friendly gesture, coming from her... And maybe she'd allow herself, later. She felt just about as comfortable with the Salamander as she had with Lyon, it was a nice feeling.... She liked him even more because of what he had said, about her and her Magic.

He gave her some sort of... Maybe hope was the word, that she wasn't that monster that her dreams told her she was. That her Magic didn't define who she was... But she supposed time would tell if he was right.

_Brother.... I do hope he is right.... I want him to be right about me... I really do._

She shook her head at herself slightly.

... Natsu was like Sting, she noticed that too. Which maybe wasn't a surprise given he had been Sting's role model when the White Dragon Slayer was a kid, they were both bright and friendly and deep down they were loyal and caring. They were both also somewhat foolish and idiots at times, Natsu seemed to have that habit of speaking before he thought about it at times- Sting struggled with that too. They didn't mean offense maybe, but sometimes they just stepped into a mess... It's how they were.

Hora sighed slightly, her eyes trailing up toward the moon overhead as she trudged down the grassy slope, far enough away from the Fairy Tailers she didn't worry about being heard, but still close enough- just in case something happened, though she doubted it would.

She hooked her arms behind her back, her eyes falling closed as the breeze whistled through the grass, ruffling her hair and making the braided piece at the front brush against her cheek.

She blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly when she felt a pulse of warmth flash through her fingers- it was a familiar feeling, a small, faint indicator that Drille had finished his delivery and the flame that gave him life had consumed him entirely. She wasn't altogether surprised it had taken the small creature an entire day to deliver the letter... She was of course on the edge of the country, and from where Sting and Rogue usually trained for the Games- they were on the other end almost. Total, opposite directions with thousands and thousands of miles between her and them... And it felt like worlds.

She sighed though, if Drille had been burned up just now, it was late and they were probably asleep. She smiled sadly at that small flicker of disappointment that settled in her heart... But she could wait another day.

That was if Drille delivered the letter at all, she had no clue if Minerva was around or not.

There was a surge of anger at the sheer thought of the woman, she bit the inside of her cheek to try and settle it.

She sat down cross-legged in the grass, her fingers picking absentmindedly at blades here and there, plucking them up from the ground and twirling them in her fingers.

Her eyes narrowed, a pulse of Magic moving from her fingers to the grass, the green set alight in a small, concise flicker of flame that turned it to nothing but ash in seconds.

There was that other feeling of disappointment in her heart... And one she was all too familiar with.

_.... Hmph.... So why do I have to deal with that bloody bastards voice in my head then....?_

She stopped herself, still not wanting to talk to it, and less so give it reason to bud in.

_Bling..!_

Her heart jumped, a sudden chime of a low, soft bell ringing on the air around her. She abandoned what ash had settled in her hand, reaching around as she pulled the faintly glowing card from her back pocket- one of those same two cards she had been working on last night. The surface of it shone in the dim, the words 'Idiots Calling' blinking across the face with four small depictions of them dancing along the edges.

Her eyes shone, her breath catching in her throat as her heart sped up a bit faster.

_Holy hell..... Is this thing actually working?! And on my first try to make something, anything like it?!_

This sort of Magic was new to her of course, she could use Picto Magic that was born of her own Magic, but something used to communicate directly was a first for her. She had made the cards, experimenting with the Magic and trying to use her own to Mimic what Magic she had felt from the Calling Card Lucy had. She hoped they would work- but hadn't been sure they would (as she had mentioned in the letter she had sent with it, that the Cards were a new thing for her and a prototype. Hora was fairly good at most basic sorts of Magic and in instances her base Magic was quite flexible, but even she had limits.. ), a part of her had been a little concerned with how new this Magic was that she wouldn't get it quite right. But the sudden life in the Card had her hopes jumping a bit higher,

She lightly tapped the card face, the words blinking away as the image appeared across it's surface, four faces she knew oh so well peering closely (maybe a bit too closely) up at her as they all crowded around it.

Her lips pulled at the edges, her heart fluttering.

"... It worked..." She breathed, her voice wispy in disbelief.

"Hora!!" Sting and Lector snapped,

"Atia!" Frosch piped in,

"Hey! What's with the sudden letter?!" Sting questioned immediately,

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?!" Rogue asked, his voice feverish as he looked up from the screen, struggling for space as Sting pushed his face farther into view.

"Did something happen?!"

"It worked!!" She exclaimed happily, too caught up in her own excitement to notice or even really register the questions they were asking in what seemed like an interrogation. Her hands shot up, holding the card between them as she beamed up at the screen, before she hugged it to her chest, grinning like an idiot maybe, but this- _this_ was exciting for her.

She'd attempted an entirely new form of Magic and a new way of using her own, and got it on the _first try!_

She'd told Lucy before that she took pleasure in the small things- and this was one of those things.

_Thank you Lucy, for showing me that Card! And thank you Cana for creating something so freaking cool!!_

She pulled the card back in front of her, still smiling in triumph and pleasure as she finally focused on them entirely, jabbing her thumb to her chest as she shot them a smirk through the screen.

"Am I good or what? I got these cards to work on the first try boys, you should be impressed!" She smirked still, chuckling. "I'd never even heard of Magic Items like this! Isn't it cool? They're like Communication Lacrima, only smaller and easier to carry around- it's a completely new kind of Magic for me, and an even newer type of Enchantment Picto Magic. And I did it on my first attempt- hehe, that is freakin' cool!" She smiled, her eyes glinting as she looked down at them and the utterly deadpan stares she was receiving. Her excitement and rambling slowed, she blinked a few times, her head tilting at them. "... What?"

"WE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, HORA!!!"

They snapped all at once, looking frustrated as she blinked, sweatdropping.

"..eh? Why?" She asked quickly,

"You never send any letters while we're Training!" Rogue snapped,

"And Drille said it was important! And then disappeared right away!!" Sting had pressed his face closer to the card, looking absolutely agitated and rather annoyed.

"We get an important letter out of nowhere, knowing you're out on some dangerous mission! What the hell were we supposed to think!?" They snapped in unison, Hora blinked once as she simply looked at them, they were all a little red in the face out of frustration- and it finally hit her how panicked they had looked when she answered the card.

Despite herself, she smiled at them, a small, soft smile as she chuckled under her breath.

"Hehe... I'm sorry I freaked you out, but nothing's wrong." She replied softly, her blue gaze glinting. "I just wanted to see you guys, that's all, and I'll have a talk with Drille about defining 'important' between emergency and casual. I'm sorry you were worried for no reason." They seemed to collectively bite the inside of their cheeks, sweatdropping as they tried to simmer down at the apology. She rest her cheek in her hand, her elbow falling on her knee.

Internally, her heart clenched a little, they wouldn't have been panicking if they hadn't already been worried about her even before the letter arrived. Which meant they had been concerned since she left, and she hated that thought.

"..... Are you really ok?" Sting asked at length, his voice lowering on the other end. She could see the worry glittering in his eyes,

"... You're not hurt or anything? And Over-Drive isn't...?" Rogue mumbled,

"I promise, I am fine." Hora smiled softly, "Over-Drive hasn't been giving me any trouble, either. I've just been dodging between towns looking for information, there haven't been any really major fights either."

Outside of the one she had met the Fairy Tailers in... But for someone with her skill that battle hadn't been major.

"..... You sure?" They nearly deadpanned the question, Hora smirked slightly.

"Would you like me to strip and prove it to you?" She quipped back easily, earning the desired effect when both Sting and Rogue turned bright red, steam coming from their heads and averting their eyes, as they fell out of view of the card face. She laughed, seeing Lector and Frosch shaking their heads in exasperation.

"..... You're awful." She heard Sting's voice in the background.

"..... That's not funny, Hora." Rogue grumbled, she couldn't help but laugh again.

"Oh I think it is." She replied lightly, smiling toothily at Lector who seemed to be the one holding the card aloft now. "Hey Lector, how have you been? Sting and Rogue been acting like idiots without me there to keep an eye on them?" She smiled, Lector smiled a little in return.

"Pretty good!" he smirked, his eyes glinting as he gestured a paw behind him toward the still out of sight forms of Sting and Rogue. "The Lady is still on her job so Training has been fun, everyone has been helping Yukino out. Without the Lady around they've been more outgoing, but they haven't done anything dumb, yet." Lector replied, "Yukino is already really good! You should have seen her beat Sting-kun at hand to hand combat yesterday! He didn't hardly stand a chance." Lector shrugged, smiling in slight exasperation, Hora smiled,

"Oi!" Sting grumbled hotly

"Oh I don't doubt he lost." Hora chuckled, "I've brawled with Yukino a few times, she's one strong lady."

"Sting-kun is still the strongest though!" Lector announced, defending his Partner as he usually did.

"Rogue-kun is great too!" Frosch added,

"How is Yukino doing?" Hora murmured,

"She's workin' real hard, she doesn't seem all that nervous but I think she is." Lector replied, Hora sweatdropped slightly, she didn't doubt that.

"Well, as you long as you four keep looking out for her I won't have to worry too much." Hora murmured,

"We are." Sting popped back into view,

"We promised we would, Hora." Rogue murmured softly, he seemed to have collected himself as well.

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch mewed,

"You bet." Lector smirked, Hora smiled a little more at the replies.

"And your promise, Hora?" Rogue murmured lowly, she smiled slightly, that familiar feeling of sadness run through her core, she could see it in their eyes... And fear too.

"Yeah, don't think we're gonna let you get away with breaking it." Sting murmured,

"I know you won't." She murmured softly. "Like I said, I'm gonna do my best. You know how strong I am, right boys? It'll be OK, there's no way I'm gonna lose."

_Not when losing means you're put in danger.... Not when losing means I'll never see you again either._

She smirked slightly, "Don't go doubting me now! I'm gonna be back before you even know it."

* * *

 

Natsu blinked, his eyes resting on the night sky above him with his arms hooked behind his head. He'd been pulled from sleep at the sound of some bell ringing, and noticed that Hora wasn't near. Her scent still hanging on the air told him she was still close and from the sound of her voice he could tell she had gone down the hill some, even without having to get up and look- a Dragon Slayer's hearing didn't have a hard time picking her out in the quiet of the night.

It didn't take much effort to hear the happiness in her voice, he found himself smiling slightly at the tone- though he found himself listening intently to the four new voices that had popped up (presumably from the Card she mentioned in the midst of her celebration it had 'worked'). He didn't recognize the voices, but the names Sting and Rogue jumped out.

Why wouldn't they? The Twin Dragons of SaberTooth had caught his attention the moment he had been told about them, and more so for what cocky, brash and violent behavior that Guild had described them in. (Not to mention how strong they were supposed to be- and being Dragon Slayers was always an interest).

In that instant though... He didn't get what the Guild thought these guys were jerks. They didn't sound like that, not with how they were talking with Hora. What worry had made its way into their voices straight off had him reeling slightly, it was _genuine_ worry, they sounded like they really cared about her and her safety.

End then- even the way Hora's voice lowered when she answered them, like she was sad she had worried them over anything at all.. and then the teasing? The entire sound of the conversation was content, easy- the sort of conversation only people who had known each other a long time and grown close could have had. He recalled Hora calling them her friends, and he could tell how true it was- just by listening.

He did frown slightly, sweatdropping once the unknown mention of 'Over-Drive' came into the conversation- it clearly meant something to them, but he hadn't a clue what it was.

He didn't dwell on it, not even when it sounded like Hora had made some promise to come back (which faintly made him wonder why she thought she wouldn't). Their voices lightened, adopting a soft, easy tenor as their conversation steered toward catching up with one another... It reminded him of his own conversations with Lucy.

Natsu smiled softly, his eyes falling closed as he allowed himself to lull off into sleep with the sound of their soft voices and laughter.

* * *

 

"Salamander."

Natsu paused at the sound of Hora's voice behind him, his attention having been cast ahead toward the ever approaching city-line of Jeihel. Lucy and Happy came to a pause too, though they had stopped sooner, already being in view of the Saber girl where Natsu had had his back to her.

He stopped, glancing backward to see her eyes weren't on him, instead her head was tilted to the side, searching the hills out to their right. To which they had been crossing the grassy planes since earlier that morning, moving ever closer to that next town they would be searching through- and mostly in content, light chatter with one another. Hora had been listening to Happy and Lucy argue back and forth for a little while, before her attention caught something else.

"What?" He murmured, his own head tilting at her.

"..... Do you hear that?" She asked at length, her blue eyes narrowed as she listened intently to that faint whisper, and buzzing noise that had caught her attention, even among the louder noises of the Fairy Tailers and the wind.

Lucy and Happy both blinked in question, Natsu paused, before glancing away in the direction Hora was, his own ears straining to pick out what she seemed to have noticed. 

Natsu blinked, an eyebrow quirking as his head tilted a bit, a look of concentration working its way into his face as he strained- he heard... _Something_. Something faint, so faint _he_ had a hard time picking it out- and he slightly wondered just how Hora managed to.

.... It almost sounded like electricity, but it was muffled and muddied.... And even then electricity didn't seem right to describe it.

"... ah... I mean yeah, I guess I do..." Natsu mumbled, his hand running along the back of his neck as he sweatdropped. ".... it's real quiet though, and I don't really know where it's comin' from, or what it is." He glanced toward Hora, who was still glancing away from the lot of them, her deep blue gaze narrowed to slits and sweatdropping slightly. "Why? You think it's somethin' important?" He asked,

There was a long few moments of silence between them, Hora bit the inside of her cheek, taking in a small breath.

The wind picked up over the grass and the hills, destroying what little she had managed to catch onto that sound- something like buzzing, subdued though, and almost naturally in a way.

_... that was odd... for a minute I swore it sounded like.... well, voices._

_'... I heard it as well, though it seems to have vanished now.'_ The voice butted in quietly, it did nothing to settle what tenseness that suddenly crept into the pit of her stomach.

Hora looked away slowly, shaking her head as her eyes moved to catch Natsu's.

".. no... I guess not." She murmured, shrugging slightly. "I was just... wondering, I guess. Making sure I haven't lost my mind."

_'... now that is debatable.'_

* * *

 

"This place is completely empty." Lucy murmured, blinking in slight shock as she glanced around on either side of them, the city a dim, grim collection of empty buildings and silence. Hora sweatdropped slightly, glancing around too as their small band made their way through the empty streets- senses on high alert for any sign of... well, anything. There didn't seem to have been a living person in Jeihel in years.

"It's like an actual ghostown." Happy murmured, floating near Natsu's shoulder and looking around with wide curious eyes.

Natsu's nose twitched, a frown pulling at his face and hands on his hips. "I don't smell anythin' either, it's like nobody's lived here in a long while."

"But how does an entire city full of people just... disappear?" Lucy murmured, "When we asked around everyone said that Jeihel may be a place where some of the North Wind Mages have been hiding out, but there is no around. Wouldn't someone have mentioned no one lives here before when we were asking about it?"

"Hmm..." Hora hummed lowly, her arms crossing over her chest and eyes narrowed as she came to a slow halt, their group coming upon a small open square, the cobble street underfoot dirty and the fountain in the center long since stopped running- the basin that was meant for water had been flooded with dirt and debris and left untouched. The Fairy Tailers around her came to a slow halt too, still glancing around at the dark buildings and dirty windows.

"OI!" Natsu's voice broke the silence rather abrasively as his voice raised, echoing slightly. "Anyone here?! Where is everybody?!"

"Would you quit that?!" Lucy snapped lowly,

"Eh? Why?"

Hora sweatdropped slightly at his loudness, shaking her head slightly as she let out a breath- she heard the unmistakable sound of Lucy's hand smacking against the pinkette's shoulder though her eyes had moved from them and toward the distant green shine of the hills they had left behind outside the confines of the empty city.

It was odd though, because Jeihel had been one of those places Hora herself had been told to be a possible location of more North Wind Mages hiding out. But the lack of life and the deathly silence settled over everything was rather eerie, and she felt a shiver run up her spine a moment.

_... I do not like this, at all._

"... maybe you ought to tone it down a little, Salamander." Hora murmured quietly, her voice halting what argument had sprouted between the blonde and the pinkette so suddenly. Her hand moved up, her index finger extended as a sudden burst of deep crimson flame began to dance from her finger, another flash of pitch black erupted, the marking running along the skin of said finger- Hora moved her hand before her in air, a dozen or so small, compact bursts of the flame manifesting before her like fluttering little animals, before taking off in opposite directions over the city. She remained still for a few moments, her eyes turned to they sky as those same bursts of flame flashed overhead- each one of them in the shape of an 'X'.

".... so there really isn't a single person here." Hora murmured, the black that had appeared across her skin fading. "At least... on the surface, there might be something we can't see underground."

"I can check that easy!" Lucy popped in, smiling as Hora glanced around to her- the blonde's hand already holding lightly to a gold key that glinted in the sunlight overhead.

"Open! Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!"

In a flash of gold and the sound of something like a bell ringing, a young woman with bright pink hair and blue eyes wearing a Maid outfit appeared before Lucy, her hands clasped in front of her and bowing a moment.

"Good day, Princess." The Spirit said evenly. "Time for punishment?"

Hora blinked, stiffening slightly at the rather odd and unnerving question, her eyes flicked toward Lucy in question only to see the blonde blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"N-no!" Lucy said quickly, shaking her head and looking a little mortified when she noticed Hora had glanced her way. "Virgo, can you please make a few tunnels and check there isn't anything hidden under the town?"

"At once, Princess." Virgo bowed again, before promptly disappearing down a large hole that appeared below her feet.

".... Eh... 'Punishment'..?" Hora murmured, smiling slightly as Lucy seemed to draw in on herself in embarrassment.

"... I swear I'm not that weird." Lucy mumbled, "... Virgo's just like that... I'm not a pervert or anything.... I promise.."

Hora chuckled slightly, Lucy blushed slightly at the sudden amusement from the Saber girl, biting the inside of her cheek and letting out a sigh. She shot Natsu and Happy a small glare when she saw them both smirking at her.

".... I'm sure you're nothing like that, Lucy." Hora smiled pleasantly, "I get it, Yukino's Spirits have their own little quirks too." Lucy blinked, looking interested,

She didn't have any time to inquire about the comment though, not before their eyes turned toward Virgo as she popped back up from the ground with little a care and ever a neutral expression.

"There is nothing suspect under the town, Princess." Virgo informed, Lucy nodded though she looked a bit disappointed at the news.

"Alright, thank you for checking, Virgo." Lucy smiled, Virgo smiled, dipping her head to the blonde.

"Of course, Princess."

Virgo disappeared in a dim ray of gold, leaving the four of them in the silent town.

"... So, we back to square one?" Natsu mumbled, hooking his hands behind his head and entirely unconcerned. Lucy sighed a little,

"...... I suppose." She mumbled, "... But something about this still... Doesn't feel right....." Natsu blinked at her,

".... I guess so." He replied lowly, "... It is weird, I'll give ya that Luce. It's real quiet.... But if there's nothin' here there's no point sticking around."

"Where are we gonna look next though?" Happy intoned, his head tilting. Natsu shrugged slightly, 

"We could try another of the towns we heard mentioned." Lucy replied, "Traveling there will take a bit longer, though."

"What do you think, Hora?" Natsu asked easily, his attention turning from his Guild-mates to the Saber woman- who thinking on it then, had been a little quiet for a bit. 

Hora was glancing over their heads, her eyes narrowed on the clear, empty blue sky overhead and her attention casting to everything but the Fairy Tailers and whatever it was they were talking about. 

_.... Jeihel shouldn't be empty...... a whole town doesn't just disappear... even if the people here did leave because of North Wind and what they've been doing, there should have been news about it.. and even then there would probably be at least one person left.... this town is way too big for everyone to just vanish._

Her eyes narrowed to slits, as she bit down on the inside of her cheek and let out a low, wary breath. 

_... this place..... it's odd, but it almost feels like it's out of some weird dream... like none of it's authentic, real._

_'.... very odd indeed.'_ The voice grumbled lowly, _'... though it is not an illusion, you would have seen through it by now.'  
_

Not an illusion, no. The Buildings were real enough, they just seemed.... fake, sort of. If they had been made out of Magic she would have picked up on it after having walked through the town just a little bit, she was perceptive that way. Where maybe most people would be fooled by an image conjured by Magic, and remained fooled- she could see it, but the illusion was seen through fairly quickly, especially so when she was actively focusing on her surroundings- as she had been doing since walking into the confines of the town. 

Her feet were bringing her forward toward one of the many empty, silent buildings before she had any time to think about what she was doing. She stopped outside the door and tapped her fist against the frame, blinking in slight surprise at the thin, light sound that came with it... the walls were thinner than they really should have been to serve as proper buildings, now that she was thinking about it. 

_..... this feels really wrong._

"Hmm?"

Hora's attention snapped back to reality when she noticed for the first time that Lucy had drawn up beside her, the blonde's chocolate gaze moving along the building Hora faced and looking skeptical for a moment, her arms hooked behind her back as she seemed to muse over what she was seeing. 

"..... Find something?" Lucy asked without glancing Hora's way,

"... maybe... I don't know." Hora mumbled, "... it's just... the buildings seem a bit too barren. And the way they're made, I'm having a hard time picturing anyone living in them. They aren't built like normal." Lucy blinked at the words, her hand moving forward to tap her own knuckles against the wall, her eyes narrowing in thought.

"... you're right." Lucy murmured quietly, tilting sideways to take a glance inside the window. ".... there hasn't been a lot of furniture or anything, and the building materials seem really cheap. It's been that way with all the buildings we've seen too." Hora nodded slightly in agreement, sweatdropping slightly as she felt a shiver run down her spine for a moment- though she didn't know why. 

"So the buildings are made of cheap stuff?" Happy asked, floating forward toward Lucy's shoulder. "That seems like poor planning for a whole town, wouldn't their roofs and stuff break all the time if it weren't made right?"

"Yeah, not just roofs and things. Their walls would probably leak and crack if the weather got a little rough." Lucy replied, 

"Maybe that's why everybody left?" Happy suggested, Lucy grimaced slightly at the idea, not looking convinced in the slightest. 

Hora wasn't convinced either, but her eyes had moved sideways along the street, surveying the other buildings slowly. 

"... so like, the whole city is a big dump?" Natsu mumbled, stopping on the other side of Hora from where Lucy had drawn up.

"More like.... it's sort of...... inauthentic." Lucy replied, pausing slightly to come up with the word. A word to which both Happy and Natsu seemed to blink at, 

".... you sayin' it's a big fake, Luce?" Natsu mumbled, though there was a seriousness that crept into his voice as he said the words- a seriousness matched in Lucy's expression in nearly the same instant. 

"It's a trap." Hora grumbled lowly, eyes narrowed to slits and shoulders tight as she immediately tensed up- that same odd feeling intensifying and changing into foreboding all in an instant. 

The reason it felt so fake? Is because it _was_. Her thoughts clicked together in the next instant- and the only explanation that made sense was this city, the whole of it- was a ruse. 

_And we walked right into it, damn it!_

"A trap?!" Happy echoed quickly, but hardly any of the other three heard him say anything at all. 

All of their eye snapped down to the sudden glow of gold and red that began to shine brightly under their feet, the streets and the spaces between the cobbles glittering as a massive Magic Circle stretched out under their feet in an instant- and the feel of Magic Energy rising rammed into them all. Hora let out a low growl, her fists clenched at her sides and heart jumping in shock, beside her Natsu had immediately moved to grab hold of Lucy, whilst Happy rammed into the blonde's neck, holding on for dear life and looking scared out of his fur.

"What the hell?!" Natsu growled, 

"A Magic Circle?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock, 

"What's going on?!" Happy asked quickly, 

"Shit!" Hora hissed under her breath, taking a step sideways and mind racing for some reaction- she felt Magic not just under their feet, but something else too- something heavy that suddenly had her feeling as if Gravity had tripled, and she could hardly keep her eyes open as drowsiness settled in. 

_... this feels.... like a sleeping.. Spell...._

A quick glance sideways saw that the Fairy Tailers were looking off balance and dizzy too, Hora swallowed.

Her hand swept out in a line before her, her skin along her arm turning jet black as a deep crimson flame flared around them, forming a circle around their group just as the light of the Magic Circle gleamed brighter than ever, and they couldn't see anything outside of it's glow. 

It felt like the ground had disappeared from under their feet altogether, and Hora's mind teetered on the edge of forced unconsciousness as they were all sent into a sudden free-fall.

_H...how the hell... did we walk... right into.. a... a god damned... trap...?! Why didn't I... see it... coming...?!_


	11. Caged

 

 **Chapter** **11**  
**Caged**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy** **Tail** **or its characters, only my own OC's, Magic I create, and my own original Ideas**

 **.:+:** **.**

_'You almost lost it just then... You let your anger get the better of you. That's very dangerous, and reckless.... especially around these people.'_

_Damn it know, quit patronizing me, asshole._

_'.... Watch yourself. Anger at me will do nothing but make it worse.'_

_I'm more pissed off at these assholes.... First a trap and now they try this bullshit?_

_'... Channel that anger. Focus. It will take some time, but you can unbind yourself.'_

_...Tch... Yeah, from these people.... But even then I'm not free._

_'.... Its a waiting game. Be patient.'_

_I hate waiting games._

_'I am so painfully aware... '_

* * *

 

Natsu grumbled slightly, his eyes fluttering open to dim, blue-grey light and a stone roof overhead. The floor was cold underneath him and the scent of must and stone and moisture hit his nose immediately- along with something sharper, something like..... Sour blood. And death.

He jumped up in an instant, his heart racing and mind whirling as he tried to come to terms with where they were- remembering instantly they had been caught in some Magic Trap before he fell asleep against his will.

"Lucy?! Happy?!" He snapped, his eyes darting about the space and landing instantly on Lucy's blonde hair from where she was laying, sprawled slightly across the stone floor and fast asleep. Happy was laid out not far from her, mumbling in his sleep about food and fish as Natsu jumped up, eyes glinting in slight panic and on his feet in seconds.

He nearly tripped, the clink of metal sounding slightly, his eyes darting downward to see the thick, metal cuffs around his wrists, the surface etched in by runes of which he hadn't any clue how to read.

His eyes snapped forward again though, moving quickly up beside Lucy as his hand fell lightly on her shoulder.

"Oi! Lucy!" He snapped quickly, shaking her slightly as she let out a low grumble, her gaze blinking open drowsily as she glanced up at him slowly

"...huh.. ? Natsu....?" She mumbled,

"Hey, you OK?" He asked quickly, she seemed a bit unsure of the question for a few seconds, before nodding slightly.

"...yeah, I think so." She replied softly, Natsu nodded once before turning his head to look at Happy.

"Oi! Happy! Wake up!" The pinkette snapped, Happy grumbled, rolling over and looking dazed.

"...huh...? What's going on...?" Happy asked slowly, trying to focus on their surrounding's as best he could. "..... Didn't we... Get sucked into some... Kinda Magic...?"

"... That's right.." Lucy murmured, her focus and her thoughts clearing up from sleeping quickly. She sat up, looking around the stone walls and floors uncertainly, her eyes immediately landing on the metal bars ahead of them, keeping them locked in a cage. She sweatdropped, her eyes falling to those metal cuffs with the strange markings that were clamped tightly around her wrists- just as they were for Happy and Natsu alike.

"These look like Magic Nullification Chains." She muttered, looking all the more uneasy as her hand instinctively fell to her belt- only to find her Keys were missing. "My Spirits!" she breathed, a sinking feeling in her stomach and panic rising quickly.

Natsu looked her way in surprise, frowning when he realized her Keys had been taken away- before his eyes snapped around,

"Where the hell is Hora..?!" He hissed, his words causing both Lucy and Happy to stiffen, eyes wide and looking even more panicked. He saw no sign of the Saber woman in the cell they occupied, and her missing had his pulse racing a bit higher.

"Oh no!" Happy exclaimed,

"She's missing?!" Lucy stammered,

"I swear I'm gonna tear these bastards apart!" Natsu snapped, his fists snapping around the iron bars keeping them trapped, "OI!!! Show yourselves!!" His voice rose and bounced off the stone and metal harshly, the space outside their cell gave way to a long, dim and dark corridor that stretched away too far to see the end. "Where the hell are we?! Where's Hora?!"

"Salamander, _shut up_."

Natsu's angry yelling ceased in an instant, the heads of the Fairy Tail Wizards snapping around to their right at the sudden low, slightly flinty voice.

Their gazes focused on the faint flicker of light that bounced from Hora's deep blue gaze, the Saber woman leaning against the stone wall with her shoulder and her arms hooked around her knees slightly. She was in a separate cell entirely, the bars shared between her cell and theirs and Hora backed up against the farthest wall from them. She cast them a small, low look, the clink of metal sounding on the air again from where the same cuffs the Fairy Tailers wore could be seen on Hora's own wrists- but unlike the Fairy Tailers', those cuffs were attached by a short length of chain between them, and mirrored with cuffs on her ankles (to which her boots had been taken from her and left her in the fishnet stockings she wore underneath them), with a similarly short chain connecting the ankle cuffs to a welded bolt and ring in the stone floor. She was pinned by that chain, she couldn't shift more than a foot or two let alone even attempt to move around the cell- and she _hated_ that.

There was a small flash of relief that passed over the Fairy Tailer's faces at the sight of her, happy she wasn't in any more harms way than they were and glad they hadn't been split apart. They had climbed to their feet in their panic and now all three of them quickly moved toward the bars that kept them at bay from Hora's cell, their relief replaced almost instantly by surprise and worry.

Hora had been wearing long sleeves the entire time she had been in the company of the Fairy Tailers- but now they could see that her right sleeve had been torn away, leaving the skin bare and the scar that stretched down the length of her arm in full view- well, near full view, if her skin all up that arm hadn't been stained and stretched across by those peculiar pitch dark markings that seemed to appear whenever her Magic came into play. And now markings that seemed persistent to stay even when it would have been impossible for Hora to be using Magic with the Magic Nullification Chains they all wore.

The Fairy Tailers found their eyes drawn to the scar and the markings in slight, rigid awe- before their eyes snapped away and they frowned, Natsu's jaw clenching slightly as the tang of blood hit his nose- fresh blood.

"...h...Hora!" Lucy stammered quickly, her eyes flashing. "You're bleeding!"

"You Ok?!" Natsu demanded in the same instant Lucy let the words make it past her lips. Both their eyes locked to the shimmer of blood trickling down Hora's skin and from two small slices running through she side of her leg, leaving a few small crimson droplets on the stone where she was sitting ever so still.

Hora shifted, her hands drawing up to her face as she pressed a finger to her lips in sign of silence, her expression serious as she let out a small hiss, shushing them quickly.

"Keep it down!" She snapped quietly, her ears ringing almost painfully at how abrasive their voices seemed in the dead silence all around them. "Seriously, try not to be so loud, last thing we need is for those bastards to come charging in right now." They blinked at the words, looking a little stunned and unsure of what she was talking about, and a little taken aback by the sudden order.

Hora's hands fell away from her face again, hooking around her knees once more as the black markings along her arm stretched down toward her hand a bit more, leaving less of her skin visible to the point her entire hand was nearly black.

"... Are you okay?" Both Lucy and Natsu asked the question simultaneously, their voices dropping to a more manageable level as Hora blinked.

"... Yeah, its just a few scratches, nothing bad." She assured lightly, tilting her head with a small shrug.

"What happened? Where are we?" Lucy asked quietly,

"And why are you locked up all the way over there?" Natsu murmured, his eyes flashing slightly.

"There was a Transportation Spell set up over that fake town, and when it activated we got sent to sleep and dropped here." Hora explained lightly, "From what I can tell there's a Group of North Wind Mages holed up here, they've set the town up as a trap to catch people unaware and keep them as Slaves to sell to one of the smaller countries outside of our own."

"Slaves?!" Happy and Lucy exclaimed, looking mortified while Natsu looked all the more agitated.

"How long have we been asleep?" Lucy asked after a moment,

"A few hours." Hora murmured, earning shocked looks and faces at the news. "I was only asleep for a few minutes after the Spell activated, though it was long enough they'd already managed to put these damn cuffs on me." Hora grimaced slightly, looking considerably agitated at the thought.

Her fists clenched into balls, her eyes flashing slightly in the dim.

_Patience, Hora..._

She let out a low, hot breath, shaking her head at herself.

"..... As for why I'm all the way over here," she grumbled, turning her attention toward Natsu's question. "... Apparently punching a few guys in the face didn't sit well. They chained me to the floor to keep me from being too much of a fuss."

Punching a few people was downplaying it slightly, to be honest she had gotten so worked up and so angry so fast she didn't even _notice_ she'd been cut. The cuffs kept her from using Magic (lucky for them, otherwise this whole place would be on fire), but even without Magic her sudden rage had been substantial, and the ensuing conflict quite... Violent.

Her eyes flicked downward toward her hands, seeing the bruising along her knuckles already starting to form, and sweatdropping upon seeing the markings on her right hand consume her skin just a little bit more.

"You punched some guys?" Natsu smirked slightly, looking amused for half a second as Lucy let out a breath. "Hehe, good goin'!"

"Not so great when you get chained up, though." Hora replied quietly, smiling ruefully for a small moment.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Lucy asked quietly, Hora blinked, looking surprised a moment- like there seemed to be something.... Searching, behind that look Lucy gave her just then.

Hora shook the thought away, nodding slightly.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Hora replied quietly, "... A little miffed at these North Wind assholes... But fine."

_'....'miffed' isn't quite the word I would use.'_

_Shut up_

"... Alright, but what are we gonna do know?" Lucy questioned softly, her eyes trailing toward the hallway and around the area slowly. "... If we can't use Magic, it's going to be very hard to get out of these cells." The blonde grimaced a little, her eyes narrowing as she glanced up the corridor. "...... Did you... See them take my Keys, Hora?" Lucy asked, looking uneasy at the very idea as Hora seemed to grimace a little too.

"... Yeah, sorry." Hora replied softly, "... The guy who's in charge has them, they threw me in here before I could manage to get them back for you." Lucy blinked in slight surprise at the words, before nodding slightly.

"Thank you for trying." Lucy smiled faintly, Hora swallowed slightly.

_A lot of good trying did... Damn it._

"..... Maybe Loke will check in." Lucy mumbled, almost half to herself. "..... Though knowing him, the minute he comes through his Gate we'll hear a huge fuss..... I almost hope he doesn't." Hora's head tilted slightly, eyebrow quirked at the words and quite lost- more so when Happy and Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I don't want him gettin' all the fun of fighting these guys before I do." Natsu smirked,

"Aye sir!" Happy smirked, Lucy shook her head in slight exasperation at both.

"..that's really not why I don't want him coming through his Gate right now..." Lucy sighed half to herself. But for now she seemed to leave it alone, all three of the Fairy Tailers, and too quickly for Hora to even question what they were talking about.

_....o....OK......._

Hora shook her head slightly, smiling, just that little bit, her lips twitching at the corners despite that agitation and simmering rage.

_.... These guys are weird....._

"Come on, these bars can't be that strong." Natsu mumbled, his hands tightening around the metal poles as he attempted to try and pull them, his face turning bright red with the effort of it.

"The spaces in between aren't big enough for me to squeeze through." Happy mumbled, gauging the space and sweatdropping.

"We can't stay here though. Or we'll end up as... Slaves.." Lucy mumbled, her eyes narrowed in thought and glancing about warily, quickly, trying to piece together some plan and some way out of the jam they were in. ".... If Jeihel was a trap, was there ever a real city?"

"... I think so." Hora murmured, earning Lucy's eyes after a moment. "..... But I think maybe, they put up some enchantment to lead us on the wrong path toward the fake version- bypassing the real city entirely."

That was at least the explanation she had put together from listening to the North Wind Mages chat and what she remembered when they had been crossing the meadows... When she thought she had heard voices and yet couldn't see where they came from.

It almost sounded like electricity, but it was muffled and muddied.... And even then electricity didn't seem right to describe it. It was like a buzzing, subdued and muted unnaturally- and yet she knew she had heard it, the distant sound of voices, that sounded trapped behind something heavy..... At a guess?

Somewhere in their travel on the road to Jeihel they had come across a section that had been diverted- a wall of Magic sprung up around the city with the intent of keeping the real Jeihel from all outside view, so that only the distant view of that fake city could be seen, and travelers would be drawn toward it. It must have been that wall of Magic that had muffled and distorted whatever noise was coming from the actual city, and accounted for the unnatural humm she had heard when passing it by.

Why she _didn't_ notice a wall of Magic off in the distance was beyond her, she _should_ have noticed it right away and hadn't. Even looking out across the meadow, she should have eventually seen something amiss, seen through whatever illusion... And yet she never had, though she had been looking, and that thought pissed her off.

"...that's a pretty elaborate plan." Lucy mumbled, "...I wonder how many people they've captured....?"

"They ain't gonna trap anybody else." Natsu grumbled, "Cause we're gonna break out and stop them."

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered brightly, looking determined.

"Shh!" Lucy and Hora shushed him simultaneously, their eyes glinting in the dim as Happy flinched, smiling nervously.

"...sorry..." He mumbled,

"Oi?! Shut up in there!!!"

The four of them stiffened, eyes flicking down the corridor toward the sudden shout that sounded from the dim, angry and agitated, and echoing off the stone walls oddly. Hora swallowed, her eyes narrowing to slits as her fists clenched together, her right hand now completely engulfed in the black markings that continued to grow.

"Eh? Those other Mages awake?" A second voice sounded after the first,

"Ooooh, let's have some fun with them, eh?"

"Hehe..."

Natsu's face pulled into a frown, his eyes flashing in the dim as he tensed up, his hands turning to fists at his side as Lucy drew her hands in toward her, just as tense as all eyes turned to the corridor and that shadow of figures moving toward then slowly.

Hora growled under her breath, her eyes following their movement closely, biting the inside of her cheek as she shifted slightly, the black markings crawling up her skin and stretching up her neck, the markings igniting a cold, raging sensation of burning where they were that slowly seeped into her blood and began to flow out to the rest of her body.

_....damn....it.... Keep it under control....._

Her eyes snapped closed a moment, missing the fleeting glance that Natsu shot her way for but a split second.

Three lanky men and a grim looking woman stalked into view of their cells, all cold, glinting eyes and crooked smiles on two of the men. They sauntered on up toward the cell that held the Fairy Tailers, peering in like spectators at a museum and smiling wickedly at the glares they received from the Fairy Tailers in return.

"Looky, looky!" The man at the forefront smiled, leaning in toward the bars and hands in his pockets. "Finally awake eh? You three were out real good!"

"It's been a real long time since we snatched up Wizards too, most normal folk never wake up before we ship them out." A second man smiled, tapping his knuckle against one of the cell bars.

"You're gonna regret trapping us real soon, bastards." Natsu growled lowly, his onyx gaze flashing in anger.

"Hehe, what are ya gonna do?" The third Man smiled, "You ain't got no Magic to use, and no way out."

"I don't need Magic to pound your faces in." Natsu snapped back lowly,

"Ooooh, how ballsy!" The Second Man laughed.

" _Real_ ballsy. Ain't ya from that shitty little Guild?" The First man smiled, "Fairy Tail right? You guys are the weakest of the weak, what are you gonna do? Heh?"

"Oi! Don't talk about the Guild like that!" Natsu snapped, his fists slamming against the bars as the North Wind Mages simply seemed all the more amused by that.

"Or what? You guys can't hardly keep your own doors open, what are a couple of half-rate Wizards gonna do to us?" The woman murmured coldly, her eyes flashing in the dark around them. "Fairy Tail's just a group of losers, you think you can stand against the likes of North Wind?"

"Shut the hell up!" Natsu snapped,

"Don't talk about Fairy Tail like that!" Happy hissed,

"The Guild isn't as weak as you're making it out to be!" Lucy snapped in clear agitation at the words. "The Guild's ten times as strong as you idiots!"

"Oh yeah, Blondie?" The third man smiled, "Why don't you go ahead and show me how 'great' Fairy Tail is?" Lucy stiffened, a shiver running up her spine at that sultry grin, swallowing as he drew his tongue across his lips. "Pretty little thing like you, I bet you _do_ have some tricks, heh?"

"Y-you... disgusting..!" Lucy stammered, looking very uneasy and unnerved. The man simply laughed, his fingers snapping in front of him as his Magic flared, a set of Chains appearing in mid-air and springing through the air toward Lucy,

Natsu had placed himself in between the attack and Lucy before the blonde had any time to react, the Chains making contact with him and snaking around every inch of his body, snapping tight and restricting any and all movement, sending Natsu crashing to the floor with a grunt.

"Natsu!" Lucy and Happy exclaimed in surprise, their eyes snapping toward him instantly and diverting their attention just long enough to leave them unable to react as the man snapped his fingers again, more lengths of chain appearing and striking through the air toward both of them.

Some chains wrapped around Happy, snapping tightly around his body and throwing him against the back wall, earning a small yelp from the Exceed.

The rest of the chains produced from the man's Magic snapped around Lucy, pressing tightly against her body and her arms, some of the links connecting themselves to the Nullification Cuffs and attaching themselves to the stone roof overhead, holding her tightly in place and dangling uncomfortably off the floor by barely an inch.

The North Wind woman waved a hand nonchalantly, looking bored as the cell bars before them suddenly vanished, letting the North Wind Mages step through and inside the cell easily now that the Fairy Tailers had been rendered immobile.

"Don't touch her!" Natsu snapped from the floor, his feet and arms bound tightly to his body and entirely unable to move let alone stand up.

"Your fault, dumbass!" The first man growled, hands still in his pockets as he stepped up toward Natsu. "You're in here talking shit and can't back it up, how stupid can you be?!"

Happy and Lucy alike flinched as that man's foot swung back, rushing forward to connect with Natsu's body with a sickeningly loud _THUMP,_ the breath driven from him as a yell of pain made it passed his lips, the force enough to make him slide back into the back wall and crack the stone- the kick amplified tenfold by a powerful burst of Magic at the last minute.

"Natsu!"

"Four puny, weak little Wizards from Fairy Tail have the gall to talk to us like that?" The First Man hissed,

"We're North Wind, we own this part of the Country. You think Fairy Tail can hold a candle to us?" The Second Man shrilled lowly, "Not a chance! You gotta know right? We have a Demon of Zeref under our beck and call, how can you even think you can contend with us?" The words earned shocked and slightly uneasy looks from the Fairy Tailers, the words news to their ears and frozen for a minute.

"D-demon...?" Lucy stammered,

"That's right Blondie~!" The Third Man smiled, he had drawn up in front of her with ever a hungry smile and now reached his hand up to curl his finger around a tendril of her hair, Lucy shuddered, squirming slightly to try and pull away even though she couldn't move. "You think Fairy Tail Wizards have a chance against us _and_ a Demon of Zeref, huh?"

Lucy shivered, her eyes wide and looking mortified as his hand fell and moved toward her stomach, and toward the edge of her shirt.

"QUIT IT!" Natsu's voice was absolutely seething, only to get cut off as the man to kick him before brought his boot down on his back, hard. The ground cracked underneath the Fire Dragon Slayer,

"I told you to shut it!"

"Natsu!" Happy stammered, eyes wide and glittering.

"Hehe, see?" The Second Man smirked, "Fairy Tail rejects don't stand a chance against us."

"And this Fairy's too scared to even say anything, hmm?" The woman murmured, her expression bored as ever as she spared a glance toward the adjacent cell, her arms crossed over her chest and hip cocked. "Where did all that anger from before go, huh-?"

Her jaw dropped slightly, sweatdropping as her hands unhooked from about her chest, the words shaking in her throat, frozen as the cold and chill of the room was suddenly destroyed in a wave of sheer, choking heat that bounced off the stone.

The dim was split apart in a brilliant, violent wave of deep crimson fire that suddenly swept out across the stone floor and from their right, the brilliance sweeping forward in front of Lucy, directly between her and the Man, who's trailing hand was suddenly snatched away.

Lucy blinked, her jaw falling and her heart leaping in her chest, her eyes riveted and reeling just like everyone else in the room at the sudden unexpected development. Lucy was so transfixed she hardly even felt that wash of heat roll against her body, or flinched at the flames licking so close to her own body, but never touching her.

Hora's hand snapped down onto the Third Man's wrist with an iron grip, her hand and her arm stained black, the markings trailing up her neck and creeping across her right cheek, pricking just under her eye, her body dancing with fire and her hand burning the man's wrist immediately upon grabbing hold of him- he yelped, trying to pull free though Hora didn't let go.

The bars that had previously separated the Cells were a heap of melted metal, the chains that had been holding her down a mess where she had been but seconds before, trails of liquid gray seeping into the stone and even melting the rock itself.

The other North Wind Mage's eyes snapped around in utter shock, anger and hints of fear making it's way into their features at seeing Hora suddenly free and completely caught off guard by her sheer power.

"H-How did she get free...?!"

"S-Shit!!"

"Hora..!" Lucy breathed, Hora didn't seem to hear anything though, she moved, swiftly, deftly, her eyes cold and face twisted in hardly contained fury....,

Fire erupted around the man, swallowing him whole as the scent of burning skin and hair filled the air, coupled closely with his screams of sheer, unbridled agony and terror, his voice echoing off the stone and the walls as Hora remained motionless, her gaze cold and steely and uncaring of the torture an the pain she was inflicting. Those pitch black markings moved, shifting over her eye and consuming half her face in seconds, the man falling away and turning to ash of blackened bone as Hora dropped her hand, motionless and rigid and unaware of what terror and shock had spread across the face of the Fairy Tailers and the other North Wind Mages around her.

"Horatia!!" Natsu snapped loudly, his voice lost to the the drone and the rage of the fire rushing through her blood and her body....,

Hora's grip on the offending man's wrist tightened, her body snapping around as she twisted, throwing him and his unwanted attention on Lucy, clear through the opening that had appeared in the bars, flame dancing off her person and off the floor around her as he yelled, smashing into the ground down the corridor in front of them. The North Wind Mages recoiled, faces paling slightly and stunned, unable to move in their shock as their eyes landed on Hora, shaking as their gazes snapped from the black covering her skin and toward that icy blue Guild Symbol that remained clear under the pitch black consuming her person, visible with her sleeve having been destroyed enough with the sudden rise in power to let her shoulder-blade remain bare.

"W-wait?!"

"She's SaberTooth?!?!"

"S-SHIT!!"

Hora hadn't paused for hardly a second, her seething dark blue gaze snapping immediately toward that man that stood beside the still downed Natsu, his hands swiping upward in reaction as he readied himself to throw his Magic toward her.

Hora's Magic swept out over the ground in two directions, a wall of crimson, angry fire tearing up the floor and headed straight toward that man, and the other two North Wind Mages left standing behind her now, her arms swinging up around her body as she spun halfway.

The look on her face was icy rage, dark... _murderous._

The black markings spread further up her cheek, crossing over her eye as the heat rolling from her Magic seemed to triple.

"Crimson Flame."

Her voice sent a shiver down Lucy and Happy's spines, their hearts skipping a beat in tune with Natsu's, a trickle of blood falling from his temple and his face tense as he watched Hora in rigid silence.

The shouts of pain from the North Wind mages rung on the air with the hissing and the booming of Hora's Magic as it made contact with them, sending them flying and knocking them senseless instantly, even as their own Magic flared to try and defend against that fast moving wall of fire- they were absolutely no match for her, and the sheer extent her Magic had reached in such a small amount of seconds had them all reeling and breathless.

"H-holy cow...!" Happy stammered breathlessly, Natsu sweatdropped, his eyes snapping from Hora for the first time toward the four North Wind Mages she had just disposed of so easily, his ears straining and still, blinking a few times.

".... she knocked them all out..." The pinkette mumbled under his breath, his eyes trailing back toward Hora, who had halted for a moment, the flame dancing around her dying, slowly, her eyes closed and stiff.

"That was amazing, Hora!" Happy grinned,

"... thank you for the save...!" Lucy sighed, looking breathless and utterly relieved at the turn in events. "... I'm so glad you stopped that guy... such a creep!" She shuddered at the thought, blinking for a moment when she realized Hora hadn't said anything, or moved for a few moments, her Magic faded now, though the air still felt hot despite it being gone.

Hora swallowed, _hard,_ the Fairy Tailer's voices lost on her ears almost entirely as she forced herself into a complete standstill, fighting with herself to quell what rage and fury had risen up and what violent a way her Magic had manifested because of. Though she didn't show it outwardly, it had taken every inch of concentration she had to just... _not_ , let herself get so out of hand and her Magic with it. Had she not been actively focusing on keeping herself under control, she might not have been able to wrestle her Magic in enough to keep from accidentally burning Lucy with how close the blonde had been, and more so....

... every inch of her wanted, _screamed_ at her- to kill those North Wind Mages. Every inch of her person screamed at her to burn that asshole who had put his unwanted, filthy hands on Lucy- to burn him alive, turn him to ash. Her Magic festered at it, rose up, threatened to take control and send her mind spiraling into that numb, unaware haze of fury that would have let her do that... she couldn't, she had to not... and damn it, it was so hard. Her skin was on fire to the point it was cold, an that sensation encased her arm, crawled up her neck, stretched over her face and fought to try and spread more even as she willed it to recede.

_Calm down, calm down... control yourself... you... have to....._

That fire was wild and so utterly cold, and pushing against it made a sharp, jolting flash of pain run through her core where she had been spared that feeling for weeks now, and she outwardly cringed at it. Her hand snapping up to press her fist against her chin, willing herself not to hiss and not to end up-

Natsu, Happy and Lucy recoiled, eyes flashing in surprise and concern as Hora's body suddenly started to shake, her breathing hitching as she started coughing out of near nowhere, her eyes still closed and shoulders tight as she fought to still the rather harsh coughing for a few moments that seemed much too long, lumps falling into the Fairy Tailers stomachs at the sound and entirely unsure why she was coughing or why she seemed to be in pain so suddenly because of it.

"W-woah, Hora..?!" Lucy stammered,

"Oi, you okay?!" Natsu demanded, his eyes flashing as he shifted, though the chains trapping him had not disappeared, nor had the ones wrapped around Lucy and Happy.

Hora swallowed, huffing slightly as the coughing drew to a shaky halt, grimacing as her hand closed into a fist from having been covering her mouth, the back of it drawing along the edge of her chin quickly, wiping away what thin trail of crimson she was sure was there from the metallic taste having hit her tongue, and the flecks of it in her hand.

_... damn it..... using my Magic like that.... after hours... breaking those Nullification Chains..... Over-Drive... is.... and.... with my anger.... t..too.....  
_

She sighed, smiling faintly as she heard the worry in the Fairy Tailer's voices then- focusing on them as best she could, nodding at them as her eyes glinted in the dim, quickly hiding her pain and her agitation though she wasn't sure her expression was all that convincing.

"... yeah, I'm alright, sorry." She murmured quietly, earning those glittering and worried glances that were rather surprising to her. "... it's nothing, promise."

Lucy looked none too convinced, and neither did Natsu really- but neither they nor Happy questioned it, they still looked tense though.

"... ah, you're welcome." Hora murmured, her head tilting toward Lucy with a soft smile. Her hand fell on the back of her neck, looking uneasy for a moment, the marking stretching over her eye receded back down her cheek, and Lucy blinked at it. "... I couldn't just let that asshole touch you."

"..... but... how did you manage to break the Nullification Chains?" Lucy asked, Hora blinked.

".... ah.... it's.... complicated." Hora smiled nervously, sweatdropping as she took a few steps toward Natsu, bending down on one knee by the pinkette though she still glanced toward the blonde. "... in simplicity... My Magic has a natural way of unraveling Charms and Illusions the longer I focus on something, and since Nullification Magic is a sort of Charm, I've just been willing my Magic to work through it and break down the Charm since we got here." Lucy blinked in surprise and awe, "... I just finally broke the Charm down enough to render it null and melt the chains."

"... that.... that's amazing..!" Lucy breathed, though honestly she looked like she wanted to ask a hundred different questions- thankfully she refrained. Hora nodded slightly, sighing a little as she spared a glance toward Natsu, stiffening slightly to see his eyes locked to her so intensely.

She sweatdropped slightly, the look he had on her when their eyes met was... piercing. And to be honest, it unnerved her.

".... I'm gonna let you free first, Salamander." Hora murmured, her hand moving up as flame danced off her fingertip, she swallowed a little. "..... do me a favor and let free Happy and Lucy once I do, alright?" She added quietly, her voice dropping low enough only he could have heard her. Natsu stared, his eyes narrowed and frowning slightly, searching for a moment as his mind worked to come up with a reason for the request.

She needed him to though, with how hard it was to control herself enough not to burn Lucy, she was a little wary of using her Magic to remove the chains on either her or Happy. With Natsu she wasn't too worried if she slipped up though, because even _her_ Fire wouldn't burn him- he was the Fire Dragon Slayer after all.

Whether he pieced together why she asked, or not- she hadn't a clue, but he nodded at her in agreement.

Hora tapped a finger lightly to those chains, a spark of red and gold rushing from her hands and over them as they suddenly turned to ash, falling off of him softly and allowing him to be able to move. The heat from the wisps of grey was just nearly as hot as the actual flames, though Natsu didn't seem to notice- as he shouldn't. And the Chains were easy enough to break apart on someone else, as the Charm was meant to only Nullify the Magic of the person being bound.

Hora's eyes fell closed a moment as her hand retracted, her fist clenching as she stood up again, taking in a small breath as her other hand hand extended to offer to help him up. Their hands met, Hora stepping backward as she pulled him up, her eyes opening for a moment as her gaze met that dribble of blood running down his jaw, swallowing slightly.

"..... you ok, Salamander?" She asked quietly, he blinked, his face unusually serious and unreadable.

"Yeah, I'm good." He mumbled, she blinked, biting the inside of her cheek as their hands fell apart and he stepped away toward Happy, dispatching the chains around the Exceed before releasing Lucy as well,

"You guys ok?" Natsu asked lowly, earning a nod from both his compatriots as Hora hooked her hands behind her back.

"Yes." Lucy murmured, rubbing her wrists a little as Happy nodded too.

"Aye sir!" Happy murmured lowly,

"Alright, now lets show these assholes what's comin' to them." Natsu grumbled, slamming a fist into his palm in near agitation. "Let's get the necklace and your Keys back too, Luce."

"Where are we gonna start?" Lucy murmured,

"Anywhere there's people to beat up." Natsu replied flatly, Lucy sighed.

"You like conflict too much sometimes." Lucy grumbled, Happy grinned.

"But this is Natsu! No one's better at destroying things than him!" Happy chuckled, Hora blinked slowly, sweatdropping slightly at the words.

"Well... that much noise is bound to have gained some attention from the other Mages here." Hora murmured, earning their eyes. "We should probably hurry... and be careful about it. From the sound of it, this place is pretty big." That earned a few blinks of question, though she failed to elaborate on the subject.

"Yeah, you got it." Natsu murmured, nodding toward her along with Happy and Lucy.

"You're right, the faster we start looking, the faster we can get out of here." Lucy nodded,

"And the faster we can stop these guys from all the bad stuff they've been doing!" Happy grinned, Hora nodded slightly,

_.... and maybe along the way we'll find out where their Guild Hall is.... so I can finally...._

She stiffened, her eyes casting downward for a moment.

_.... that North Wind Idiot mentioned Neveleous..... they aren't about to let that go either, not now they've heard about it.... damn it._

She took in a small, silent breath to attempt to still what uneasiness rose up in the pit of her stomach- the more worked up she got, the more her Magic would get out of hand.... and the more Over-Drive was gonna act up again.

"Alright, let's go!" Natsu smirked, his smile appearing now after having disappeared for awhile. Lucy and Happy smiled too, just slightly with small, determined nods of their own.

"You ready to go, Hora?" Lucy asked brightly, her eyes glinting and looking so damned determined and calm Hora blinked, her mind tumbling to a halt as she saw that same determination and so bright steadiness in Natsu and Happy alike.

She stiffened slightly, blinking once or twice as she felt the heat and cold burn racing up her neck suddenly fade back a little, her hand moving up instinctively to press against the back of her neck, the other trailing toward her arm to see the black recede just a bit further.

_.... how.... do they....?_

Hora swallowed, sighing silently as she smiled, her eyes glinting as she nodded toward them and her hand fell away from her neck,

There was a sudden commotion of shouts and words that rumbled from down the hallway and all around from above and below, shaking the stone slightly as they all blinked at it.

Hora nodded their way, catching Natsu's small smile from the corner of her eye as she nodded to Lucy.

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

 

_There was blood everywhere._

_That crimson was splashed about carelessly, like a child had taken a full brush and waved it all around. It splattered across walls, the floor, the stone... Everything was a wreck. Everything was torn up, cracked and crushed and crumbling in the dim and the close confines of the area. It was cold, unnervingly cold, a chill unlike any other seeping into everything, biting and sharp._

_Tables and chairs lay in ruin, strewn about in every which direction. The stone floor was blackened and crushed, caved in where her body had been thrown into the stone hard enough to break more than rock._

_He was frozen, the tears pricking at his eyes and stinging as he remained rooted to the spot, the breath in his throat having ceased entirely and his heart felt as if it had stopped beating altogether. He was fixed, unable to move, unable to breath and completely still. He couldn't take his eyes away, he was too terrified to try, even with the looming, dark a murderous figure of that man and his cold, dead eyes fixed to him- burning with so much wrath and hatred a look could kill...k...kill...._

_"n....no...." He stammered, his voice hardly above a whisper._

_She.... she wasn't moving... wasn't breathing....._

_".... please... you can't... be..."_

_Her body was broken and bloody, sprawled out among the rubble and the pools of blood at his feet,_

_... he.... he k...killed her......_

_"....H...Ho...."_

_"HORA!!!"_

* * *

 

Rogue lunged upward, his breath coming in sharp gasps and heart racing like a drum in his chest, beating against his rib cage painfully.

His red eyes darted about every which way, mind whirling and terror still running on all time high as he tried to make sense of where he was and what was going on. The Nightmare still fresh and vivid, despite the relative calm of the surroundings.

His eyes snapped down, landing on Frosch who was curled up asleep not far from where he had previously been laying in the grass, completely unaware of his sudden awakening as Sting and Lector were- the former two fast asleep not far to his left.

Rogue ran a hand through his hair, pulling his bangs from his face as he tried his best to settle his breathing and heart rate again.

_That.... That nightmare...._

He let out a slightly shuddering breath, his eyes narrowing you slits.

_...... Master.... He...._

Rogue shivered slightly as the image flashed in his mind's eye.

He got to his feet slowly, moving away from the small shelter and out over the grass- the sky overhead dark and the stars glittering dimly.

He doubted he'd be getting back to sleep tonight.

Not after... _That_.

Rogue picked his way across the clearing they'd been using for hand to hand training, crossing it toward a small hill not far off before tapering to a sudden, steep drop farther off. The edge of the hill overlooked the expanse of the forest on all sides of them, too far out in the wilderness to see anything but hills and trees, too far to glimpse even the smallest of towns or cities. It was quiet, very... Quiet.

He bit the inside of his cheek, sinking down into the grass to sit cross legged, his hands falling open in his lap as he glanced down at them.

There had been a lump in his stomach that had refused to go away for a long while now. It had formed that day that Hora had been.... When Master did that, to her. That knot worked its way tighter and more complicated as he sat with her, watching her get sicker and worse, to the point she'd almost-

His hands pulled into fists as he swallowed against the memory, his chest aching at the thought of it.

... He'd been worried, this whole time. He had to work at it to not let his thoughts wander to where she was and what trouble she was getting into, and just what that job was she'd been sent on. He couldn't get it out of his head how sad she'd looked, how afraid even, and guilty- like she thought she wasn't coming back.

She was all alone and it had been so little time after Master had hurt her so, so badly. She was still hurt, still healing... She was still hurting, hurting and broken like she had been for so long and hidden it from him and everyone else.

What if... What if something did go wrong? What if, out there all alone and on her own, with no one in the world to help her, or even know where she was- something happened? Something bad?

What if she got hurt, and needed help?

He hissed under his breath.

He should have never just let her go off on her own, damn what Master or the Lady would have said about it.

"... Are you alright?"

Rogue jumped in slight surprise, his head snapping around and red eyes flashing in the dim at the sudden voice. His gaze landed on that of Rufus, who had approached without Rogue hearing him, and now stood just slightly behind him, his arms hooked behind his back. Rufus tilted his head slightly in question, Rogue blinking a few times in shock at the sudden arrival.

Rogue's eyes fell away after a moment, sweatdropping as he bit the inside of his cheek.

"... Yeah." He replied quietly,

"You seem troubled." Rufus replied lightly, Rogue stiffened a little. ".... Were you having trouble sleeping?"

".... I just had a nightmare, is all." Rogue replied slowly, "It's fine." his eyes were turned away so he missed the look of surprise and question that passed over Rufus's features.

"..... Would this nightmare happen to be stemmed from your worry over Horatia?" Rufus asked easily, Rogue's eyes widened a little at the question and how on the mark it was.

_He was frozen, helpless... All he could do was watch._

_That monster of a man was beating her, breaking her, throwing her around... He kept on. Constant. Never ceasing... Not until..._

_... He killed her. She was gone, and he..._

_... he'd just watched it happen.  
_

He must have visibly tensed up, because Rufus's hand fell lightly stop his shoulder in a small sign of calm and broke the memory of the nightmare apart with the simple gesture.

"I understand your concern." Rufus murmured quietly. "We are all worried, it isn't simply you."

".... we shouldn't have let her go on her own." Rogue grumbled,

"... Perhaps not. Especially given she was still on the mend." Rufus agreed softly, letting out a small sigh. "... It isn't what any of us wanted. None of like the situation as it is, but there is nothing to be done... Hora knew that well enough."

"That doesn't mean it was right." Rogue growled, "... None of it is. What Master did was wrong... And it was wrong of him to order Hora out on a dangerous mission all by herself."

Nothing was right... It was all so twisted and wrong, and honestly?

It all started with one person.

".... He went too far." Rogue growled lowly, Rufus blinked.

".... Indeed." Rufus murmured. There were a few, long minutes of silence that fell then, before he Rufus went on.

"..... However.... These things... Have a way of sorting themselves out, I have found." Rogue blinked, head tilting as Rufus glanced away toward the sky overhead.

".... In time.... I do think things with Master, and with Hora... All of it. They will turn around and improve..... And hopefully sometime soon."

* * *

 

"What the hell?!"

"How did they get out?!"

"Fire Dragon Wing Slash!!"

Flame lit up along the walls as Natsu jumped forward, arms outstretched on either side of him and moving along the corridor at a speed too fast for the North Wind Mages to keep up with, their bodies smacking against the stone walls and the floor with painful thumps.

"Lucy Kick!!"

Lucy's leg swung around swiftly, catching a man in the stomach and sending him flying backward to smash into the wall behind him with surprising strength. Hora blinked, a little taken aback by the sudden ferocity in the blonde, her own movements down the hallway after the Fairy Tail Wizards halting in her surprise.

_... Damn, she's stronger than she looks...._

"Still no sign of the creep who took Lucy's Keys, Hora?" Natsu called from further up, Hora's blue gaze snapping from Lucy to the pinkette instantly at the sound of his voice. Hora shook her head,

"No, haven't seen him yet." She called back easily, her eyes snapped from him toward the North Wind Mage rushing her way, in his hand a nasty looking hammer. Hora's eyes narrowed, spinning lightly out of the way of the swing, her hand swiping out to catch the back of his shirt tightly, before spinning around and sending him crashing face first into the wall not two feet from where Hora stood. The stone cracked on impact, knocking him senseless instantly, his weapon clamoring on the ground as she let him hit the floor, turning back Natsu's way to see him nod at her.

She was constantly looking for said creep though, and not just for Lucy's Keys Sake, but she wanted her stolen boots back, since she had been left to run around barefoot now.

"I'll let you know the minute I do see him." Hora called evenly, earning nods from Happy, Lucy and Natsu alike.

"Sounds good!" Lucy replied,

"Let's keep pushing through these bastards in the meantime!" Natsu grinned, his fangs flashing as his fist made contact with another Mage.

"Aye Sir!"

They continued forward quickly, blowing through droves and crowds of North Wind Mages that seemed to pop out of the walls- there was no end to them. But even for the Fairy Tailers and their Seven Year absence, the North Wind Mages were proving no real challenge- even by Hora's standards everyone she had seen (now with her Magic not being blocked off by chains as it had been before), these North Wind guys were very sub par.

But maybe that was not so surprising, as this wasn't their main headquarters and simply a splinter operation. But for a Guild with a Master who had control over a Demon of Zeref?

These guys were really... Almost disappointing.

Of course thinking that now would likely give the universe reason and cause to say 'screw you'- and likely throw something ridiculously dangerous their way soon enough.

_'That is indeed how things tend to usually go.'_

Their brawling through narrow halls and close corridors came to an abrupt halt as they burst through a set of heavy metal doors, the walls widening into a large, round room filled with utterly nothing, the roof overhead dotted by candles and lanterns all around.

Hora sweatdropped slightly, feeling her skin crawling and senses on high alert out of sheer instinct- in the droves upon droves of North Wind Mages that had risen to combat them, this new room was unnervingly empty. She could see her uneasiness matched instantly in Lucy and Natsu alike.

"What the hell is this?" Natsu growled, taking a few more paces inside, his nose tilted up and twitching as he breathed in the scent of the room. He grimaced,

"It's super empty." Happy intoned, Hora's eyes trailed up the smooth walls until her eyes found a line of... Balconies (?) about a hundred feet up, and spanning the space they stood in below on all sides. Her eyes cast down to the floor, her gaze tracing along the tears and cuts dug into the stone, where some of the rock was stained.... Dark, faded, grimy _red._

"..... It almost.... It looks like some sort of arena." Lucy stammered, Hora agreed instantly- though silently.

"Arena?" Happy gasped,

"I can smell a bunch of blood here." Natsu growled, "Tch... These bastards must force some of the people they trap to fight each other."

"Seems that way." Hora grumbled lowly, "The only way out of here is back the way we came, or through those balconies." she flicked her head up toward said area,

"There were a few hallways that lead in different directions back the way we came through." Lucy murmured quickly, "But this place is so big, it's like a maze. It'll take forever to figure out way out."

"I don't hear anything comin' from up there." Natsu murmured, gesturing toward the balconies. "They might not lead anywhere that'll help us, we should probably turn around." He nodded toward Lucy a moment, "And don't worry Luce, well figure a way out of here." He assured calmly, Lucy nodded a little.

"... Yeah... I just hope we find my Keys soon." She mumbled, "..... I hate losing them, I should have kept a better eye on them and not let them get stolen away in the first place..." Hora blinked, her eyes flashing as she saw the worry and fear work its way into the blonde's person.

It was a look she'd seen before... In _Yukino_....

_..... It seems.... Lucy cares about her Spirits just as much as Yukino does....._

Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her chest flashing in pain suddenly, swallowing against the urge to cough. Her eyes snapped shut for a few seconds, her breath catching in her throat and refusing to breathe for fear it would send her into a fit.

Natsu blinked, sweatdropping slightly and eyes narrowed, seeing Hora's shoulders tighten up from the corner of his eye and her eyes snap closed. He stiffened, eyes flashing to see Hora's hand move to clench about her shirt over her chest almost instinctively.

"It's ok Lucy, your Spirits will be alright!" Happy assured, floating in front of Lucy and smiling reassuringly. "They're super tough." Lucy smiled faintly in appreciation for the attempt to ease her worry, nodding brightly.

"I guess I should have more faith in them." She smiled slightly. "Besides, well get them back soon, yeah?"

"Aye!" Happy smiled,

Hora took in a small, silent breath as the sudden throbbing in her chest and lungs died down again, her eyes glinting as she glanced to the floor a few moments.

_Fucking... Over-Drive.... Can't it just..... Quit already....?_

Of course not.

She took in a few more breaths to test it had passed, before her hand fell away from her chest and she took a small, little step toward the pair of Happy and Lucy.

".... Let's get going then, we'll find them faster if we keep going." Hora murmured, earning their eyes and their immediate nods of approval. They turned back toward the door, only to halt.

The doors slammed shut with an abrasive metal clang that echoed found the arena, everyone jumping and growing stiff in uneasiness, Lucy and Happy took a few steps back in shock.

"We got locked in?!" Happy yelped,

"Not good!" Lucy stammered,

"Shit.." Hora hissed under her breath, her hands clenched into fists at her sides as her eyes snapped from the door to scan the balconies overhead for anything new.

"So you're the ones tearing up my Prison." The sudden voice echoed oddly off the stone walls around them. The owner of the voice however, remained entirely unseen though Hora was looking around quickly for some sign of them.

_'And this is where the world says "Screw You", yes?'_

Natsu's jaw dropped slightly, his heart jumping in his chest and panic racing through him in an instant- a flash of some sort of glint of light catching the corner of his eye, his head snapping round to find the source and dread settling in. He knew something had been thrown out, Magic or no Magic, he could tell there was danger in an instant, his instincts and reflexes flaring too life as his eyes found one person.

"Hora!!!!"

Horatia's head turned in complete shock at the sound of Natsu's voice yelling her name, and the sheer panic in it- the _warning_. She saw the worry and the seriousness in his face, the way he seemed to be trying to move toward her.

_S... Salamander....?_

She didn't notice it, not what he had. She hadn't felt anything, not the slightest sense of anything racing toward her nor the immediate danger. For all her perception and her rather incredible reflexes and instincts- she didn't see it coming. Where she had been on par with Natsu when it came to sensing danger seconds before, this time _she_ didn't sense it.

But he did, and not fast enough.

Pain flared through her body like flame, her eyes snapping away from him and toward that glitter of scarlet that suddenly painted the air in front of her.

The scent of blood hit her nose, and it was _hers_.

_"Hora!!!!!"_


	12. Golden Azure

**Chapter** **12**   
**Golden Azure**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy** **Tail** **or its characters,** **only** **my own OC's, Magic I create, and my own original Ideas**

**.:+:**.

_She didn't notice it, not what he had. She hadn't felt anything, not the slightest sense of anything racing toward her nor the immediate danger. For all her perception and her rather incredible reflexes and instincts- she didn't see it coming. Where she had been on par with Natsu when it came to sensing danger seconds before, this time she didn't sense it._

_But he did, and not fast enough._

_Pain flared through her body like flame, her eyes snapping away from him and toward that glitter of scarlet that suddenly painted the air in front of her._

_The scent of blood hit her nose, and it was hers._

_"Hora!!!!!"_

* * *

 

She took a few short steps to catch herself, suddenly off balance and the breath catching in her throat as her gaze followed those drops of crimson through the air behind her, watching them splatter against the stone at her feet.

Natsu's onyx gaze flashed, face pulled into a slightly panicked frown from where he was- Hora bumping into his chest after having had him pull her roughly forward toward him. One of his hands held tightly around her wrist while the other instinctively moved to hold her hip as she ran into him, stiffening when he heard Hora hiss under her breath.

That glint of light that had caught his attention belonged to a long, sharp blade that had been thrown her way out of near nowhere. That wicked edge caught her shoulder-blade and the top of her back as Natsu pulled her toward him, sparing her getting stabbed, but a deep, angry red line cut across her shoulder blade, back, and over her spine- tearing a line through her shirt, skin and muscle with ease.

Hora growled, her eyes flashing in pain as her head turned around slightly, seeing a few more drops hit the ground at her feet and feeling the slick warmth of her own blood begin to trail down her back nearly instantly.

"H-Hora?!" Lucy and Happy gasped, eyes wide and glittering. Their gaze snapped quickly between Hora and that blade that had struck into the stone not a few feet from where she and Natsu were. Hora's eyes weren't on them though, nor was she looking toward that Fire Dragon Slayer who had grabbed hold of her. Her head turned to try and glace over her shoulder toward that wound, sweatdropping heavily as the sensation of fire over her skin flared brighter, and the black markings encasing her arm leapt forward at an accelerated rate, spreading up her shoulder and across her back to encase where the wound was now, leaving the pain and an icy burning sensation that was less pleasant than normal. Steam rose up from the wound a few moments, though it didn't close despite the markings attempting to do so, Hora swallowed.

".... Shit...." She hissed lowly, wincing slightly in between.

"Tch...." Natsu hissed, "You alright?" Hora nodded slightly, her eyes skipping over him as she glanced toward the blade. His eyes flicked from her face to glance over her shoulder slightly, swallowing as his eyes traced the wound and the considerable amount of blood beginning to fall from it,

Hora's eyes snapped toward him while he wasn't looking, and she halted- the breath catching in her throat and eyes flashing as her heart jumped in her chest.

_W-what.... what the hell is with... N..Natsu....?_

She paled slightly, her mind crumbling and failing to come up with any answer to what she saw as she looked at him- really looked at him, for the first time, and only for a split second did it remain.

_... the.. h....hell.....? I swear... for a second there.... he didn't look....._

But it was gone so fast she had a hard time convincing herself she hadn't imagined it. So she shoved the thought and the sudden shock away,

".... move." Hora mumbled, catching Natsu's attention as he blinked, a little taken aback.

He felt a shiver run up his spine though, his eyes breaking away from the wound to finally meet hers, expecting to find those deep blue eyes that had become familiar the last few days- and not seeing them at all.

That dark blue had suddenly turned a startling, fiery gold, with a ring of crimson red circling through the gold at the center. Natsu felt the breath catch in his throat as his mind shuddered to a halt.

"W-what the...?" He stammered, those suddenly gold and red eyes snapped away from him and back toward where the blade had landed, her expression pulling in seriousness and slight panic.

"Move!" Hora said again, louder this time and the panic making it's way into her voice, faintly- but enough that Natsu realized immediately something was wrong.

But this time around Hora moved faster than he did, her hands snapping forward as she took hold of his shirt, roughly pulling him backward with her as she rushed to move. They both stumbled, Hora tripping over her feet in her haste and Natsu stunned enough he lost his balance, but there was a metallic shing of the air being cut- something silver rushing through the empty space that Natsu had previously been standing in just a second before, and nearly too late to avoid as the blade managed to cut off a few pieces of his pink hair before striking hard into the wall. Natsu's eyes widened, sweatdropping heavily as his eyes found the blade, before he was forced to look away- he and Hora locked together as they hit the ground with a painful thud. Natsu fell on top of Hora who's back hit the floor- sending agony racing through her body in an instant from the new wound, and enough she yelped- her hold on his shirt releasing with the pain and her eyes snapping shut against it. The back of her head banged against the stone floor with a painful jolt too, her jaw gritting and hissing as all track of the present was lost to the sudden throbbing, one hand moving to hold the back of her now painfully aching head.

"Natsu! Hora!" Lucy and Happy snapped in panic,

"Where the hell did those knives come from?!" Happy asked quickly,

Natsu hissed, his mind whirling as he quickly pushing himself off the Saber woman he had landed atop so roughly, his hands on either side of her and straddling her torso slightly as he saw the pain work it's way into her face ever deeper, he could see her cringing and see the blood welling on the floor underneath her where her back had hit it.

"Shit!" He snapped, agitation and worry rising with panic at how quickly things had turned and how quickly she had gotten hit- but where the hell _had_ those blades come from?! And how did she see the second one coming when he didn't?!

"You ok?!" He snapped again, her suddenly golden gaze opened and landed on him, wincing under her breath as he kept his eyes on her, not budging an inch even from still being on top of her,

"... tch..... yeah, Salamander..." Hora grumbled lowly, wincing again and she looked up at him, her face neutral but he saw the pain flashing in her eyes still. "... but maybe do get off me, alright?" She grumbled, he blinked, nodding stiffly as he quickly climbed off, taking a knee beside her as Hora sat up, hissing in pain but ignoring it as she drew up to bend on one knee, her hands on either side of her and eyes glittering. The stone floor behind her was smeared red, but she hardly cared nor noticed- her eyes were on everything else.

"How did you know about the second one?" Natsu grumbled, looking serious now. ".... and what's with your eyes?" He asked, his voice dropping slightly as Hora shook her head a little as if too clear it of some haze.

".... This place is a huge trap." Hora grumbled lowly, Natsu blinked, though she didn't elaborate further than that- and didn't have time to question it as Lucy and Happy ran up beside them, looking slightly frantic.

"Are you guys ok?" Happy asked quickly,

"Hora, that wound looks serious!" Lucy breathed, her eyes glinting as she took in the blood and the injury.

"..... It's fine." Hora murmured lowly, her eyes catching Lucy and Happy's for a split second- both of them growing rigid and eyes widening to see the blue had altered to that eerie golden-red hue. Hora got to her feet stiffly, one eye shutting tight at the pain that came from moving even the slightest bit, she could feel her skin and muscle pulling uncomfortably under the markings trying to hold it all together and keep from letting the wound tear more. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from wincing,

".... y-your eyes..?"

Hora's gaze narrowed, trailing from the blades and across the room, moving upward along the wall and toward the balconies overhead.

"Well well, you avoided those better than I thought you could."

The eyes of the Fairy Tailers snapped up toward the voice again, their panic and worry dissipating as they remembered having heard it before, and that they had been trapped in with no way out.

There where Hora's eyes had found moments before, on the center balcony high over their heads, stood the owner of that voice- and the owner of those blades that had caused so much harm in so little time too.

It was a man, tall and lanky with dull, sickly yellow eyes and disheveled gray hair. His jaw was adorned by a beard just as messy, and streaked through by bits of white too. He stood on the edge of the railing with little a care, his fingers on his hands twitching incessantly at his sides, his fingernails painted in alternating black and green. He regarded them with a face full of neutrality that almost seemed bored, his eyes flicking across each of them in turn and landing finally on Natsu and Hora.

"Most people aren't quick enough, few can anticipate the danger- even Mages." He mumbled, his voice echoing strangely off the walls, his index finger on his left hand twitched, trailing lightly along the ring of keys hanging loosely from his belt.

".. my Keys..!" Lucy hissed under her breath, agitation and anger working it's way into her face.

"... that means he's the leader around here, right?" Happy mumbled lowly, his eyes moving tentatively from the strange man toward Hora, just in time to see her nod slightly, though her attention was fixed to the very thing that the Fairy Tailers could not see.

The room was a mess. Nearly every inch of available space was threaded across by hundreds, millions even- thin, pale white lines that resembled wire. They crossed one another, weaved through the walls and stuck fast to the ground in too many ways and too complicated patterns to even begin to see where they started, nor where they ended. It looked like something out of a story, of an old crypt that had been painted across by the webs of spiders for centuries upon counting, weaving so thickly and so numerous in all the delicate, yet strong threads that sections of the floor, walls and air were swallowed by nothing but dim, glowing white.

All around their feet, hanging in front of their noses, passing so close their skin they should have felt it- there wasn't a single place they could stand nor step were they weren't in contact with one of the threads, yet neither she nor the Fairy Tailers felt a thing- as was surely the point.

As it was she shouldn't have been able to see it, because while they looked like web and wire and string, they were most definitely nothing of the sort- the glow was telling, the ethereal way they seemed to bend and even move, like rippling waves to the point it was almost nauseating. Not wire, but lines of Magic running everywhere, in every way, every place... and though following the lines to the source was impossible, she knew where they lead.

The lines moved, bouncing lightly and swimming as the man's fingers moved incessantly from where he was, the vibrations moving out over the mass, directing them, almost like... puppet strings.

This place was a trap, and they were smack dab in the center of it, surrounded on all sides. And she was the only one of any of them who could see it at all.

Hora swallowed, her vision swimming a moment as image of the lines flickered before her, fading slightly from view as she felt pain flash across her back, and the icy burn grew stronger- she could feel the markings move up her neck again, threatening to swallow her whole. And then there came with it an agonizing jolt of pain through her core and her chest that had her lungs failing to take in air for a few long moments, lest she start coughing up blood again. She was losing enough of it already down her back.

_'You've grown sloppy, you should have been able to see this without resorting to using the full extent of your Magic.'_

_Shut. The. Fuck. Up._

But that damned voice was right. She just hated it, and hated herself for not realizing what they had walked into sooner. Hating she had to use her Magic to pick apart the air and make the lines visible, hating she had to let her Magic flare high enough for it- she shouldn't have to, it should have been easy, immediate even... and yet it hadn't. She had to force it, bring the depths of her Magic to the surface and threaten to send her control spiraling away from her with it.

This on top of missing the Spell that had kept the real Jeihel from being seen? It was more than sloppiness.... it was like she'd lost her touch entirely.

_Damn me_

But why?

_'You know why.'_

The fire in her core raged brighter than ever at that. One name came to mind, one asshole, one person- she would love, ever so fucking _love_ to tear to shreds, rip his body apart and melt the skin from-

"Oi! You Bastard!" Natsu snapped, breaking Hora's concentration and thoughts with his voice- the fire in her heart died down, _again_.

_.... How does he keep doing that? When my mind goes so damn.. dark....? It's like.... he snaps reality back into place just by talking._

"Yer gonna pay for all of the shit you've pulled! And you had damn well better give Lucy her Keys back right now!!" Natsu yelled, his voice bouncing from the walls and fists clenched at his sides, looking quite ready to jump up toward the other man and start laying into him.

"How abrasively loud you are." The man grumbled, Hora's eyes narrowed to slits, her body tensing as she saw one of the Magic Strings near to Natsu shift, vibrating as if someone had plucked at it with a finger and let go- and the movement rippled out to hundreds of other Strings all around their little group. She could almost hear the vibrations on the air, though only in her head.

And who the hell knows what those things could do, she pieced together that somehow the Strings had sent the blades in motion- but with the millions there actually were?

_And what the hell kind of Magic is this anyway?!_

She hadn't a clue, and the voice in her head failed to speak up with any sort of answer- so it didn't matter really. All that mattered was that man was about to do something- whatever it was, and certainly nothing good- and she was the only one out of any of them that could see him preparing.

_Think Hora, think!_

Her body moved out of sheer instinct, her Magic flaring as the Markings took chance to spring forward without her wishing them too.

But there was no anger then, not true anger, not the burning hot rage and murderous intent she had had to contend with her entire life. The Markings didn't burn like they usually did- they were hot, enough to be icy across her skin, but it wasn't the same force that sent her mind spinning away into a chasm she couldn't pull free from. She didn't intend to harm that man because of how _fun_ it would be, nor how good it would feel. She wasn't attacking him outright, she was-

\- _Protecting_ _them_. No matter what.

And the anger didn't turn to rage, she was just... resolute. Her Magic was resolute, her Magic was steady and calm and controlled like she had seldom felt it be, in so very, very long a time.

She was moving, her Magic was rising to the surface without her thinking about it, she'd moved herself in front of all three and she did it without hesitating a single moment. Her hands raised on either side of her, flames flickering as they circled her arms like serpents would, her hair moving as the wind and pressure picked up around her. The Markings stretched down both arms, stopping just shy of her jaw and crossing over her chest and shoulders where they were visible, the black shining warmly in the growing light of the fire.

Hora let out a low, slow breath- the air engulfed in a hazy cloud before her, all of their eyes reflecting the metallic sheen that bounced from the hundreds of blades and weapons that had seemed to materialize out of the stone walls around them. The Fairy Tailers looked between the blades and Hora in utter shock, eyes widening and jaws dropping at how quickly she had moved and where she placed herself.

Those golden-red eyes landed on the North Wind Lieutenant steadily, her expression resolute and unflinching, her attention never leaving him and never flicking for even a second toward the hundreds of incoming weapons and blades of all sizes and shapes- and all deadly in their own right.

Her hands swung forward, the flames dancing from her arms and springing through the air in a wave, whirling and spinning as if they were beasts and creatures in themselves.

The flames burned an incredible golden-azure color unlike anything any of them had ever seen, striking out across the ground and through the air in mere moments, Hora's voice clear and cold as the words bounced off the stone.

"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled lowly, too low for anyone to possibly hear normally, a waft of air rushing into the Fairy Tailers behind her, causing them to bring their hands up and cover their eyes, their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it.

"Guardian Circle!!"

* * *

 

_Just once... Only once before_

_They were hurt, badly. Worse than she had ever seen them be, and seeing the crimson drip from their bodies, their mouths, their noses- it was enough to break her heart, enough to hurt- even more than her own wounds._

_They hadn't a clue what they walked into then, just like now. They'd started headfirst into that job, aware of the difficulty that was supposed to come with it- but unaware of just how dangerous it would be. And they very nearly paid dearly for it._

_... no, she screwed up then, and she had screwed up now too._

_It was the only thing she could do to try and fix it, save them.. guard them._

_Rogue and Sting were shaking, struggling to stand up and face the large, bulky man that had them all pinned against a wall and with nowhere to go. A monster of a man, with much more Power and Magic more stifling than they, or Hora had ever come across- even from Jiemma._

_They'd seldom come across someone too powerful to contend against individually, and rarely when they were working all together like this. But this man.... He was unbelievable._

_Even for her_

_She knew they didn't remember it, not what she did, not how she'd jumped in front of them and let her Magic run wild where she never dared to before. They didn't remember the golden-blue hue her Fire had taken on that day, because by the time she'd used her Magic in such a way they had long since passed out from pain and wounds too many._

_The Exceeds saw it though. Lector and Frosch saw it as they stood by their downed Partners, eyes wide and ears pressed against their heads as they watched Hora plant herself between an attack meant to kill them, and how she guarded against it. Their eyes reflecting the brilliant blue and gold glow, their fur washed back by the heat that had grown so intense it had felt nearly icy cold._

_There had been such a loud boom of her Magic clashing with the other man's that they barely heard her say the words, and failed to hear anything but the last two._

_"Guardian Circle."_

_And the sheer rise in power that had taken hold of her in the next minutes was something they had never seen before, and nothing that either Lector or Frosch had seen again._

_They couldn't move, they just watched, rigid in awe and shock as Hora lay into that man and beat him. All on her own._

_And they never seen her look so pissed either. And she had been angry, very much so- but like now it hadn't been that murderous rage she was so afraid of falling victim to._

_She was just mad that they'd gotten so hurt and she's done so little to keep it from happening._

_So even when Rogue and Sting finally came to, all their wounds already wrapped and treated by her, with the help of Lector and Frosch- she smiled brightly, hiding how awful she had felt and guilty that they'd gotten wounded like that._

_They'd been stunned, to say the least- to go from passing out to waking up and the job was already done and over without them?_

_And they sure as hell couldn't wrap their heads around how she'd done it all by herself. And the explanation they received from Hora, Lector and Frosch alike were nowhere near helpful, or satisfying._

_"What the hell do you mean gold and blue_ _**fire** _ _?"_

_"Is that even allowed?!"_

_It hasn't been this color since then._

_'You haven't been so determined and willing to act in order to protect humans in that long a time.'_

_Guard them, you mean._

_'.... That is a part of what your Magic is meant to do, after all.'_

* * *

 

_.... Maybe.... I started to forget that part though._

_'That's because you've deemed your Magic evil.'_

_It is._

_'.... Hmm... But that does not determine what you do with it to be evil. You decide your own action.'_

_.... That's... Kinda like.. What Natsu said..._

_"You do smell good.... And I don't feel tense around you either. You're Magic felt weird, but I don't think you're as dark a person as your Magic feels. It was like you weren't you or a split second... but you've been you since. Nice. Gentle. You're actually a really nice person, so I guess I'm just surprised you're Magic feels so different from how you really are..... is that why it's hard for you? Cause you're Magic's really freakin' strong, I mean- I haven't felt anyone's Fire as hot as yours before. If you're Magic is dark and you're not, do you have a hard time staying who you are because it's so powerful?"_

_I'm not as dark as my Magic.... I choose what I do with it. I'm.... Maybe I'm not a monster._

_.... Maybe I can use it to do more than harm._

_'You would be incapable of this Spell, if you did not have the will to do good, to protect.'_

_..... When the hell... Did you get so nice and helpful, hmm?_

_'Be quiet.'_

She almost smirked, if not for her focus on the man and the sudden burning energy rushing through her body.

The glow of gold and blue lit up the room and bounced from the stone, heat wafting around through the air in wild waves as the weapons crashed against the sheer, near solid wall of flame that erupted around them in a circle, a line between Hora and the Fairy Tailers and the objects that would do them harm.

Below their feet a Magic Circle had appeared, the edges rung around by the wall of flame.

Hora's eyes flashed, the weapons melting immediately on contact with the fire and seeing the lines of Magic melting away inside the confines of her Spell just as quickly. What Lines tried to reattach themselves and break through the fire failed entirely, the North Wind Lieutenant scowled down at her, his fingers twitching away madly trying to break through- he wouldn't have any chance, she'd carved a circle to which nothing could step inside of if she didn't want it to.

"Y-you..." He growled, his hands raising in front of him, "... little... bitch....!"

Hora smirked, her lips twitching at the corner for a split second, before it faded into a softer smile.

She glanced over her shoulder toward the Fairy Tailers, her hands falling to her hips and the flames simmering down to an ember around the edge of the circle, glowing faintly. Even without the flames, the Magic Lines were still failing to cross over the line- as was sure to be pissing the North Wind Lieutenant off even more.

Lucy, Happy and Natsu all caught her eyes, attention snapping away from gazing at her Magic, looking stunned and completely in awe, their jaws dropped and sweatdropping. They blinked at the sudden soft smile she shot their way, her golden-red gaze glinting.

"... wh... what kind of Spell is this...?" Lucy asked hesitantly,

"Yeah... and what's with your eyes, Hora..?" Happy mumbled,

".... did you say.... Fire Devil...?" Natsu's voice had dropped so low neither Lucy nor Happy heard him say anything, but a part of him knew nearly instantly that Hora had- because she smiled nervously as her gaze flicked toward him in particular for a small moment.

"Ah, simple version, yeah?" Hora hummed, turning only slightly their way and completely ignorant of the seething North Wind Lieutenant still standing on that balcony above their heads. They blinked, quite unsure what had brought on such a lighthearted tone and smile so suddenly- how could she look that relaxed right now?

"To start, whatever Magic this guy's using involves hundreds of Strings made up a Magic that span every inch of this room." Hora waved her hand lightly in a gesture toward the walls, "Can't tell you the specifics, but he's connected to all the strings and is making the weapons appear and move with them." They blinked, looking taken aback and glancing around feverishly to try and see the 'Strings' for themselves.

"... b... but I don't see any 'Magic Strings', Hora." Lucy mumbled, Hora shook her head slightly,

"You won't." Hora replied lightly, "That's where the part about my eyes comes in." She tapped a hand lightly under her eye, smiling reassuringly. "Remember I said my Magic has a way of picking apart illusions, charms and stuff?" Lucy nodded slightly, "Well, I can also use it to see things that otherwise can't be seen- or are considered 'hidden'. Whatever Magic this guy uses is hiding the Magic Strings from regular view, so normally they are invisible- but if I use my Magic to focus enough, I can see them anyway. So even though you guys can't see them, trust me, they are definitely there."

"That's how you saw the second blade coming before me. And all those other weapons too." Natsu mumbled, Hora nodded.

"... That..... that _is_ amazing." Lucy breathed, "You're Magic is really impressive, Hora!"

"But if you said the Strings are everywhere, wouldn't that mean we're in the middle of them right now?" Happy asked, Hora smiled again with a shake of her head.

"No, not anymore." She smiled lightly, tilting her head in the direction of the floor and the Magic Circle that still glowed faintly. "This Spell keeps everything unwanted out of the confines of the circle, so don't worry about any of the Strings getting through, or any other types of attacks for that matter. They won't make it passed the border as long as I keep the Spell going." All of their eyes widened at that, "So, in essence- this Circle is the only safe spot in the whole room." Hora explained lightly,

".... how long are you gonna be able to keep it going?" Natsu mumbled, his face still plastered in that seriousness that was much too unlike him- but it was called for at the present situation. Hora blinked at that, her smile fading for a moment, before it returned, though she looked rather nervous.

She was forcing herself not to show it outwardly- but somehow that Flame-Brain seemed to see it anyway. Apart from the throb and sting of the wound on her back, there was something sharper flaring in her chest, and getting worse the longer she kept the Spell going subconsciously.

Over-Drive was getting worse the longer they were here, and the longer she kept her Magic up too. 'Guardian Circle' was a ridiculously complicated Spell, and took up a lot of Magic Energy to cast in the first place, and even more to keep it going and working after that. She could already feel her Magic Energy Supply depleting, and quickly- if she didn't watch it she'd exhaust and strain herself too much- and that was just the perfect scenario to have her start coughing up blood again.

She just wondered how Natsu seemed to simply know she was putting herself in a heap of trouble.

".... ah.. not very long." She admitted quietly, "... this Spell is.... ah.... kinda hell, to keep up." Natsu nodded stiffly, Lucy and Happy seemed to swallow.

"Then we gotta finish this fast." He growled, cracking his knuckles in the palm of his hand.

"You can't see the Strings moving, Salamander." Hora mumbled, "Even at your fastest, there's no telling what else this guy can throw at you- or even if you can dodge it." Natsu grimaced slightly at that, his eyes flicking away from her.

"Yeah, but you can't take him out all on your own." He grumbled, "And hell if I'm sitting here doin' nothing." His eyes moved back toward Hora, only to halt, his serious expression falling slightly as he blinked.

Hora's face had fallen utterly neutral, her eyes settled on him with a deadpan stare. Natsu's head tilted slightly,

"What?" He mumbled, Lucy and Happy sighed silently to themselves, their faces falling and looking rather exasperated.

"I feel like I should be offended." Hora muttered levelly, Natsu stiffened slightly, blinking a few more times as the utterly stony response. He huffed slightly, his jaw clenching in agitation as he growled,

"Tch, come on I didn't mean it that way!" He said quickly,

"I think you did." Hora replied, her tone never wavering from neutrality, nor her expression with it. Natsu flinched at that, looking a little flustered.

"I meant you can't keep this Spell going at the same time as trying to find a way to beat this guy! You already said it's hard to keep up!" He huffed,

"And what do you plan to do?" Hora deadpanned again, looking no more amused nor appeased.

"We can't just sit here!" He snapped, "And there ain't nobody doing anything all by themselves! We're all here and we're gonna work together to get this job done, like we agreed to!" Hora blinked, swallowing slightly at the words.

"He's right, we need to do this together." Lucy piped up, "We can figure out how to get around his Magic, if we all pitch in." She smiled, nodding firmly as Hora's gaze moved toward the blonde slowly.

"Aye!" Happy smirked, "All four of us are sure to come up with something!"

Hora's eyes fell closed, her shoulders sagging slightly as she let out a long, low breath. She had a feeling they could keep arguing back and forth a long while if she was stubborn enough to try it, and honestly she wasn't looking forward to wasting that much time. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from wincing outwardly as a stab of pain ignited in her chest, snatching her breath away for a few moments.

She was a little offended though, that Pinky had even suggested she couldn't take this guy out on her own.

But they all seemed rather intent on doing this together, so she figured it was best to just... _roll with it._

"....... it might be easier to focus on getting your Keys back first, then." Hora sighed, her eyes opening to settle on Lucy, who nodded slightly. "Maybe one of your Spirits can help us out with the Strings and whatever, but you're gonna need 'um back first for that."

"Yeah, sounds good to me." Lucy replied,

"Let's get 'um back then." Natsu murmured,

"..... how dare you prattle on like that?!"

All four of them blinked, jumping slightly at the shout of sheer fury that sounded out of near nowhere,

".... oh right." Happy said quietly,

"... I kinda forgot that guy was still waitin' up there." Natsu mumbled, Hora sweatdropped slightly, looking just as exasperated as Lucy did in the next instant.

"Forgot?!" The North Wind Lieutenant snapped, his eyes alight in anger and rage. "You insolent little brats!!"

"Oi, you don't gotta keep yellin' like that, we're still gonna kick your ass." Natsu replied flatly, "Now! Give Lucy's Keys back, they don't belong to you!"

"I have plenty of things that don't technically belong to me, brat!" The man snapped, "You've got a lot of big words, but how do you intend to get them back sitting in that nice little safe-spot of yours? The minute you set foot outside that circle I'm going to tear you to pieces!"

".... Salamander." Hora mumbled quietly, seeing the agitation and annoyance spark anew in the Fire Dragon Slayer. "Don't do something dumb."

"Then back me up." He shot back instantly, Hora blinked.

"... what do you want me to do? Tell you where to dodge?" She mumbled, only to earn a smirk in return.

"Hell yeah, I'm quick enough to avoid getting hit, if you're quick enough to tell me." He smiled, "And in the meantime we can both lay into this guy and keep him too busy to get any good hits in, yeah?"

Hora blinked, sweatdropping slightly at the words and what was quite frankly.... kinda a dumb plan. But he looked so sure of himself and so confident she couldn't bring herself to disagree with it, even though she probably should have.

She sighed,

".. fine. Let's work fast, then." She mumbled, he smiled wider at that, Hora paused long enough to glance Lucy and Happy's way. "...seems I'm gonna have my hands full keeping an eye on Natsu, so for the meantime it's probably better for you two to stay here, so you don't get hurt. Alright?"

They nodded stiffly, "Yeah, we'll hang back a bit. Maybe in the meantime, with the more I see of his Magic, I can figure out how to stop him." Lucy murmured steadily, Hora nodded back a little.

"Alright, let's go Salamander." Hora murmured, turning back toward Natsu who smiled, looking nearly ecstatic.

"Hell yeah!"

Lucy and Happy recoiled slightly, eyes wide and jaws dropping at what sheer speed both Hora and Natsu took off with in the next second, a wave of air rushing up to hit their faces and attention struggling to find their blurred forms high over their heads now- and heading straight for the North Wind Lieutenant, who by now looked even more miffed. But his lips curled, smiling wickedly as his hands shot forward, fingers twitching madly.

"Try your best, brats!" He snapped, his voice ringing painfully off the stone.

Hora growled under her breath, the Strings vibrating and shifting madly around them, hundreds all at once and burning an eerie pale glow that was painful to look at.

"Above you!" She snapped curtly, Natsu reacting immediately to the sound of her voice and jumping sideways to avoid the hail of daggers that rained down from where he had been but seconds before. Her eyes snapped away to avoid what next attack she saw preparing from the corner of her eye, her feet pushing off the stone hard enough to send her high into the air, twisting to avoid the long, thirty foot lances that tried to impale her- and instead lodged into the walls and floor. She winced lowly, her back stinging at the movement- but she didn't dare slow down, her golden-red hue continually flicked between her own surroundings, and toward Natsu- calling out warnings without end while simultaneously dodging the ones coming toward her, all on top of keeping the Circle going.

They were moving nearly too quickly for Happy and Lucy to keep track of their movements, both of them shocked at how well Natsu and Hora seemed to be doing- how well Hora instructed him where the next attack was coming from, and how well he listened to keep himself out of danger entirely. It was like they found it ridiculously easy to work with one another, and the North Wind Lieutenant wasn't even close to hitting them with any of the attacks he sent their way- and he was looking even angrier by the second.

"He's clearly never come across someone who could see his Strings..." Lucy mumbled under her breath, her chocolate brown gaze narrowed and incredibly keen as she watched the three moving around.

She and Lucy jumped slightly, their eyes wide and glittering as their eyes snapped from Hora and Natsu toward the sudden torrent of cannons that appeared in air around them on all sides, the sound of the weapons clicking came for only a split second before a torrent of cannonballs let loose toward them.

Happy instinctively latched to Lucy, who recoiled, almost ready to move- before the edges of the Circle burned bright and a wall of flame leapt forward from Hora's Spell to melt every single cannonball before it ever even got close. Lucy shuddered slightly, Happy looking around in awe,

"..... this Spell is seriously strong!" Happy breathed,

".... it didn't even falter under all that power being thrown at it. Or even with Hora busy like she is.." Lucy murmured, ".... it's amazing how well she's keeping it going, all on top of fighting and keeping an eye on Natsu." She stiffened, stepping back a few paces as a long line of razor sharp halberds appeared next, thrusting forward toward them and halting as the wall of Flame burned bright again, rendering them to piles of melted goo with ease.

".... I remember how much damage she did to that guy when we first met her, her Magic Energy was stifling. And she's got to be on par with Natsu," Lucy mumbled nearly to herself, "..... Hora is really a very powerful Mage."

"Aye,"

Time stretched into near fifteen minutes with Hora and Natsu working in tandem, dodging attacks and throwing their own toward the North Wind Mage- who avoided several of them, but not all. Little by little Hora and Natsu were wearing him down, making him move around and keep on his toes to avoid getting hit- and all the while with Hora making sure Natsu was warned with enough time to move, and then they were back to the offensive again. Their Fire springing up around the air and burning walls, melting weapons here and there and singing and bruising the North Wind man on and on.

They were actually a damn good team.

Hora's feet pressed against the wall for but a split second as she moved out of the way of more swords, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the room- for a split second the Strings went lax, a small window between being avoided and readying again. She clenched her fists at her sides, crimson flame erupting around her person. She spared a glance Natsu's way, catching his gaze for a split second, before he nodded slightly, his Magic flaring around him in tangent with hers.

"Fire Dragon's-"

"Fire Devil's-"

The floor and wall cracked under their feet as they launched themselves upward instantaneously, the room dancing in shadows sent up by the harsh glow of red and orange as both Hora and Natsu appeared above the balcony in which the North Wind Lieutenant stood- after having jumped back up toward it in hopes of respite from their unrelenting movement toward him. Their eyes locked to him and their arms raised above their heads, an orb of glittering red and orange appeared over Natsu's head while a white-hot orb appeared between Hora's hands,

"-Brilliant Flame!"

"-Infernium!"

The spheres clashed together and combined as Hora and Natsu swung their arms down, the glare burning brightly enough that Happy and Lucy had to shield their eyes from it. The waves of heat and pressure that washed against their faces sent shivers running down their spines, the room shaking with the incredible boom that echoed out soon after, all sight of the North Wind Lieutenant, Hora and Natsu lost to the cloud that sprung up from the explosion so suddenly.

"Did they get him?!" Happy hissed under his breath, Lucy shook her head slightly.

They jumped, hearts skipping a beat as something heavy crashed to the floor not far from them, sweatdropping heavily to see Natsu slowly picking himself up from the sudden rubble that was the floor- only to hit the floor again, jaw gritting and growling in pain as his eyes found what was pulling him back again.

A thin trail of blood seeped down the length of razor sharp wire that had wrapped itself so tightly around his forearms that the skin was cut through with ease. Flames circled around him, burning the wire away as he drew his hand across his chin to rid it of the blood dripping from his nose.

"Natsu!" Happy gasped, "What happened?! Didn't you guys hit him?!"

"Tch.... yeah, but he got us too." Natsu hissed, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Hora....?" Lucy breathed, her eyes snapping away from the pinkette toward where they had last seen the Saber Woman. She stiffened, her breath catching in her throat-

Hora hissed, her airway cut off and unable to take in any air- her fingers fumbling slightly at the silvery metallic sheen of the wire that had wrapped itself around her throat, preventing breathing- and would have probably cut her throat open, if not for the onyx Markings that had covered her skin a long while before. More wire pressed painfully against her ripcage, wrapped around her torso and chest and keeping her suspended just slightly off the floor of the nearly completely destroyed balcony,

The bastard must have taken their turn to throw a complicated attack his way to his advantage, and hit them when neither he nor Hora was looking for it- or expecting it. He'd set it up so they'd get caught by the wire when they least expected him to try it- and right when Hora's attention had turned away from watching what the Magic String's were doing.

_S...shit..... this.... asshole.... is really..... annoying me... n... now...._

She cringed, her heart beating frantically in her chest and suddenly a jolt of agony swept through her, her throat burning as she coughed up what little air she had left, a dribble of scarlet peeking it's way past her lips and falling down her chin. The golden-red hue of her eyes flashed, breaking back to her usual deep blue for a few seconds as she felt her Magic falter along with Over-Drive starting to kick up a few more notches- she could feel the Markings shrink back up her hands, the skin of her fingertips and palms tearing open as she tried to pull the wire off and lacking the protection they provided now.

_Crap..... this is going... so well...._

"Horatia!" She faintly heard them call her name from somewhere down below her, but her eyes locked forward, meeting those sickly yellow of the North Wind Lieutenant, bleeding now and skin burned and singed in several places, balancing lightly atop what was left of the balcony and his hands raised toward her, scowling profusely.

Her eyes flicked away from his face toward the glint of light that bounced off the ring of Keys hanging from his belt,

"Caught ya, little brat!" The man sneered, his fingers pulling inward toward his palm as the wire tightened, Hora's eyes snapped shut against it. "What the hell? Why isn't it cutting you?!"

"Let her go!"

The North Wind Lieutenant's head snapped sideways, Natsu appearing to his left and fire licking off his fist as he swung out toward his face, missing by barely a few inches as the man sidestepped in Hora's direction to avoid the hit. Natsu whirled around to face him, only to have the breath knocked out of him as a large, heavy log in the shape of a battering ram made contact with his stomach, pushing him off the balcony and winding him.

The man yelped, his body wrenched backward as Hora moved, her legs wrapping around his neck and shoulders tightly, trapping him in place as he struggled to gain his bearings-

Hora coughed, gasping and sputtering as the same battering ram turned on it's head and rammed into her hard enough to snap the wire from the roof, sending her spilling amongst the rubble and vision dotted in black- the wire around her throat never loosening and her lungs begging for air.

_... h...how.... many times...... is this.... bastard... gonna hit me....._

But her Magic was faltering so badly now with Over-Drive kicking into sudden full gear, even the fire she managed around herself didn't get hot enough to melt the wire off.

_'You've used too much of your Magic all at once, too soon after being injured by your 'Master'.'_

She knew she hadn't been at full capacity starting this Mission, but she hadn't a choice. She had been doing fine, the _entire time_ , one couldn't tell she was still hurting from time to time or even that anything wasn't quite right.... but just now she really regretted not taking time to heal all the way before starting in to North Wind.

_.... c....crap.... I really can't breathe......_

Gold light flooded the floor below as the sound of a bell ringing filled the air.

"Open! Gate of the Giant Crab!"

"Eh...?!" The North Wind Lieutenant snapped his head around, eyes wide and heart jumping as his hand instinctively fell to his belt- only to find the ring of Keys missing. "When the hell did you-?!!" His eyes snapped to where Hora was laying on her shoulder, her blue gaze flashing slightly as she shot him a strained smirk.

_-The man yelped, his body wrenched backward as Hora moved, her legs wrapping around his neck and shoulders tightly, trapping him in place as he struggled to gain his bearings._

_Hora's hand shot downward, letting go of the wire as her fingers curled around the keyring tightly, wrenching it free from the belt in seconds- tossing it quickly over the edge of the balcony long before he'd composed himself enough to knock her off of him, and completely with him none the wiser to what he'd done._

_Happy had jumped forward the instant he saw Hora toss the keys in their direction. Aera flaring as he zoomed up through the air and caught the keys in his paws easily- passing them off to Lucy who pulled a single key from the loop without any hesitation, her gaze locked toward where she could see Hora struggling to pull the wire away._

The man blanched slightly, his face twisting in a scowl as he shot Hora a furious glare, "Y-you!!!!"

"Cancer!"

The man recoiled, he had started to spin toward Lucy's voice only to be halted as something sharp passed by him so quickly, and so closely, he felt the skin on his cheek split as a cut suddenly ran across it from near nowhere. His eyes never found Lucy though, because Natsu had moved to be right in front of him faster than he could notice, nor take note of how the Magic Strings bent and shook as Natsu passed through them with little a care- he'd been too distracted to notice, and he wasn't fast enough to react in time.

As was what Lucy had noticed, the more distractions there were and the more that man focused on one person- out of anger or whatever, the less he payed attention to anything else, least of all his Magic Strings. That's why even when he had ample opportunity to attack Happy once he left Hora's circle, or Natsu when he was focused on Hora- he didn't. He couldn't put his attention on all that much simultaneously, and his reaction time was actually really, really slow.

So she'd told Natsu to keep the man's attention for a little while- long enough to open Cancer's Gate and long enough to get to Hora.

"Too slow!" Natsu snapped, his leg swinging forward with little time and burning bright in the light of his fire, his leg making contact with the side of the man's jaw and sending him flying through air to crash into the wall hard enough to cave it in.

Hora coughed, the wires around her throat loosening as they were cut apart in instants, her lungs heaving as she sucked in air, spluttering slightly as she struggled to take control of her breathing- and ended up coughing roughly, flecks of blood spattering against the stone and she held her aching ribs. She groaned slightly, her chest aching painfully as she rolled over, swallowing hard against the metallic tang in her mouth and eyes halfway closed- her gaze meeting that of of a tall man with green-tinted sunglasses and..... crab legs, sticking out of his back. And snipping at the air with a pair of scissors in each hand.

_... Cancer, huh....?_

"You alright, ebi~?" He asked calmly, she blinked,

".... y... yeah..." She breathed lowly, wincing as she pushed herself up with her hands behind her, sighing slightly and swallowing the sensation to start coughing again. She grumbled, wiping her chin with the back of her hand and grimacing to herself.

_.... this is pathetic.... I must have been in worse shape than I wanted to admit if I'm getting strung up like that.... and hit.... and cut... and.... grahhh...._

_'...... your 'Master' very nearly killed you not three weeks ago, do not forget. Few would be able to move now after what he did, less would be alive. It's a miracle you haven't fallen apart before now, and managed to keep on as you have.'_

_... don't call him that._

_'Would you prefer 'owner'?'_

_..... just..... be quiet._

"... thank you." She mumbled quietly, casting a glance toward the Spirit and stilling her thoughts.

"You got it, ebi~" He replied, the sound of the scissors snipping a few times only caught her attention faintly as something silver glinted from the corner of her eye, down the small hallway that connected with the balcony.

"Hora!!" Her head turned away from the hallway to the hushed, frantic voices that came next.

Lucy jumped down onto the balcony as Happy let her go from having carried her up there, both of them looking panicked and eyes glittering in worry. Lucy ran straight up to Hora, bending down on her knees and her hands pressed against the ground as she leaned forward toward the Saber girl, Happy stumbling to a halt next to the blonde and looking breathless.

"Hora, are you ok?!" Lucy asked quickly, her brown gaze sweeping over every inch of Hora's person looking for injuries and missing the blink of surprise Hora let slip, her now normally blue gaze flashing a moment.

"Ahh! Are you bleeding?!" Happy asked quickly, finding the tears in Hora's hands and fingers from trying to pull the wire off.

"Is your neck ok? Did you break anything when he hit you?" Lucy asked breathlessly, her chocolate brown gaze glistening and sweatdropping heavily as her her hands curled into fists on the floor in front of her, lingering on the smear of crimson from her back on the floor behind her and the specks that had littered the floor when she was in the middle of coughing. Lucy seemed to stiffen at that,

_..... she looks...._

Lucy's gaze snapped up to land on Hora, who felt the breath catch in her throat, her face falling and her heart skipping a beat.

"Are you ok?" Lucy asked again, this time rather shakily, small flecks of moisture pecking at the corners of her eyes- the very sight that had Hora completely rigid.

_.... she's..... she's nearly in tears...?_

_.... is..... is she that worried.....?_

_..... about...._

_............... me..........?_

Hora found herself lost for words, or even proper thought. She had a hard time wrapping her head around the idea, they had only known each other a few days, they were from completely different Guilds.... and yet the Fairy Tailers had been treating her like she'd been a Fairy all her life.

But the concern? Genuine concern... she wasn't sure how to contend with that, or even what to feel either.

Was she supposed to be happy.... grateful....?

To be honest she just felt ridiculously flustered at it, her heart fluttered slightly in her chest in a sudden wash of sheer embarrassment, and nervousness.

Hora swallowed, sweatdropping slightly as she fumbled for a response for a few moments.

_"...mmm... you're tiring.'_

"... I... ah, I... I'm fine..." She managed to stammer oh so gracefully. "... really... I'm fine. My neck didn't get cut or anything, and the rest are super small." She forced a shaky, strained smile.

Though inwardly she had to wonder if maybe a few ribs had cracked from getting hit with that damned battering ram.

"Are you sure?" Happy asked tentatively,

"Yeah, I'm sure." Hora replied, her smile a little less strained as her embarrassment calmed down a bit. "You don't need to look so worried, promise." Lucy's shoulders sagged slightly, "After all, you guys saved me just in time." She added in lowly, tilting her head toward Lucy and Cancer alike.

"Of course." Lucy mumbled, "... it's the least we could do. You kept that Guardian Circle Spell going even when you couldn't breathe." Hora blinked,

"... oh, ah... I didn't even register I was doing that still." She admitted lightly, "Guess I was just doing it out of instinct, hehe..." Lucy smiled softly,

"...MMmmmmph.... a little help here...?!"

Lucy, Happy and Hora alike glanced up toward the sound of Natsu's voice, their eyes moving to find him struggling and bouncing in a web of wire that had him nearly completely immobilized, the North Wind Lieutenant below him looking worn and bloody, but no less angry.

"... ah..." Hora hummed, grimacing slightly as she shifted,

"Cancer, can you please?" Lucy asked quickly, the Spirit nodded solemnly.

"Of course, ebi~"

Hora pulled herself to her feet, stifling the wince that rose up her throat as Lucy stood up beside her, Cancer moving slightly, scissors snipping away in a flash as the wire holding Natsu captive was cut through with ease. The pinkette flipped in air to land on his feet, huffing slightly.

"Thanks Cancer!"

"I suppose we ought to finally finish this guy off." Hora grumbled, her eyes narrowing to slits as the deep blue flashed gold for a split second, before it faltered again and she let out a slightly strained breath. "...... I can't hardly see the Strings anymore though, so we'll have to be careful."

"Strings?" Cancer murmured,

"He controls objects through a series of Magic Strings that span the entire room." Hora replied, "... He also makes objects appear via the strings too.... I'm really not sure what sort of Magic this is, honestly."

Cancer blinked, his attention moving away from Hora as he lift a hand in the air in front of him, his index finger tapping against nothing- until a flash of white illuminated itself in the air before him, revealing a small section of... the Magic Strings?!

"... how in the hell....?" Hora mumbled,

"You can see the Strings, Cancer?!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes shining as Cancer nodded.

"I would not have thought to look for them had you not mentioned it." The Spirit replied, "The Strings seem to exist in a reality that borders quite close to that of the Spirit Realm. It would be hidden from Mortal eyes that way, but if I concentrate enough I can certainly see them~" He smirked slightly, his scissors snipping. "I can cut them too, if you so wish it, ebi~"

Lucy's eyes shone, her expression brightening as she nodded happily.

"Please! Then we can beat this guy without worrying about getting caught or hit!" Lucy grinned, "You're the best, Cancer!"

"Of course, ebi~"

Hora blinked, her head tilting slightly as she glanced between Lucy, and how the blonde smiled up at her Spirit with such excitement and pride, even.

_.... I've seen that expression in Yukino too..._

She felt her lips twitch slightly at the corner,

_... she's kinda cute, looking so excited like that._

Her smile faded again, her attention fixing to Cancer as the Spirit moved quickly, jumping down onto the main floor as Hora heard the air cut- the North Wind Lieutenant halting, and stumbling backward to see Cancer appear right in front of him, light bouncing from his scissors as he made a swift cut at the air in front of the man's hands. Light erupted in the form of Strings for a split second, before they crumbled away and out of sight- the North Wind Lieutenant's face growing dark in anger and near horror.

"M-My Puppeteer Strings...?!"

"Hehe, alright!" Natsu smiled, the swords that had been suspended in air around him clattered to the ground, no long being held aloft by the Man's Magic. "Way to go Luce! Cancer!" Natsu smirked, his fist slamming into his palm and looking quite thrilled. "Looks like your fancy Magic's all cut up!"

".... you... little shits....!" The man snapped, stepping back, before he sprinted to the side and snatched up one of the blades that had fallen to the ground, rounding on Natsu as he smiled, the blade suddenly lightning up with flickering blue and gold electricity. "You think that's the only Magic I know?! Try me!!"

"..... lightning too, hmm...?" Hora mumbled under her breath. She felt the icy hot around her neck and her arms lessen, the markings receding back to just barely cover her right shoulder, she could feel her heart beat unevenly as a sudden wash of lightheadedness rammed into her- though she didn't let it show outwardly.

She stepped forward, her foot trailing over the edge of the balcony, before halting- Lucy's voice calling her back.

"W-wait! You're hurt, Hora. You should probably just let Natsu and Cancer handle the rest." Lucy said quickly, Hora blinked, glancing back toward the blonde.

 _'You ought to listen, you're very near your limit.'_ The voice added in flatly, Hora sweatdropped slightly.

"..... hmmph....  don't tell me you don't think I can handle him too." Hora sighed slightly, earning a nervous look from Lucy as Natsu's earlier comment of Hora not being able to 'take him out all on her own'. Lucy shook her head slightly,

"No, it's not like that." She replied quickly, "But with his Magic destroyed, Natsu and Cancer can easily handle it. You don't need to work so hard anymore, you've been doing that the whole time." Hora quirked an eyebrow, "... apart from keeping Natsu safe, and using that Spell to keep Happy and I safe too, you even got my Keys back. And before that you saved us in the Cells too, and kept that creep from touching me. You've done a lot, and you got hurt in the process..." Lucy shook her head at herself, her gaze flashing in sudden steely determination. "I know you're a really powerful Mage Hora. And I don't doubt you could have beat this guy all on your own either! But you've done enough, and I don't want to risk you getting hurt again if you don't have to!" She took a step in Hora's direction, her hand moving forward to grab Hora's wrist lightly, Hora felt her heart jump and her nerves rise at the sudden unexpected contact. She would have pulled her arm back out of sheer instinct, but her gaze met Lucy's and she halted without really meaning to.

"Please." Lucy mumbled, "..... you've been doing so much. Let me have a turn and do something for you, alright?" Her eyes flashed and Hora felt her heart skip a beat, again. "... you're hurt, and you've used up so much energy already, you have got to be tired. Let me look at your wounds and help you, alright?" Hora swallowed slightly,

 _'.... it seems you've made quite the impression on her, haven't you?'_ The voice murmured, it sounded... _amused._

 _'... I think you've made quite an impression on all three of them. They seem to genuinely care about you, even only having met you two days ago.'_ It _was_ amused, it fucking _laughed_. _'... how odd, to think you'd manage to go around making friends and stealing hearts so easily. Hehe.'_

Hora went rigid, her eyes widening slightly and feeling her face heat up and burn almost as hot as the Markings did. Her face must have turned bright red, because Lucy's serious expression altered to a look of confusion, but Hora hardly cared nor noticed, her heart fluttered incessantly as no small amount of sheer embarrassment hit her in the next instant.

_S-Stealing hearts....?!_

She had half a mind to snap a few choice curses out loud, her nerves rising and flusterdness hitting an all time high at the comment and how _ridiculous_ it was-

She never got to that part though,

What had she said before? About Over-Drive?

_"It.... It gets set off when I go through a large amount of physical, or emotional strain all at once."_

Emotional Strain, emotional influx... and on top of it, Magical Strain too

Her heart had started fluttering so much at the comment, the next breath she took in ended up being agony- her chest tightened up and she felt like someone had run a blade through it, Over-Drive kicking in on... _over-drive_ , just at that one little comment, one little comment that was enough to send her spilling over the edge where she had been pushed toward it, teetering dangerously.

She cringed, her eyes snapping shut as she ended up letting out a strangled gasp, sputtering slightly as her free hand moved up to clench about her shirt over her chest, her knees shaking and shoulders hunching as she ended up coughing, every single one felt like fire and ice all at once, tearing her apart from the inside out. Her breathing stretched and pulled painfully at the tear across her back, and ached badly against those ribs she had been a little afraid had cracked not long before. Her hand moved to cover her mouth, her head spinning anew as her legs buckled underneath her.

_You bastard... you did that on... purpose...._

_'I did say you were at your limit, foolish girl.'_

"H-Hora..!!" Lucy gasped, her voice shaking as she moved forward, her hands falling on Hora's shoulders frantically, eyes wide and face pulled tight in concern and worry, especially so at how painful those coughs were to hear- let alone how painful they seemed to be for the Saber girl. "H-hey! What's wrong?! Why is this happening again...?!"

Hora's head bowed, her hands falling in front of her and pressing against the floor to hold herself up as the coughing came to a slow halt, her shoulders and back hunched as she panted, her eyes closed and feeling even exhausted all at once. She hardly heard Lucy say anything, or even the noise of Natsu and Cancer below them, all she could hear was how harsh her breathing was on her own ears. Lucy was settled on her heels in front of the heaving Saber girl, her hands resting lightly on Hora's upper arms and grimacing, her eyes flashing as she saw Hora's arms begin to tremble faintly,

".... Hora..." Lucy mumbled softly, "..... please, this isn't right. You've been doing so fine since.... It happened before, but you said....."

_"... yeah, I'm alright, sorry." She murmured quietly,  "... it's nothing, promise."_

".... you're not alright." Lucy mumbled, ".... are you sick or something? Can ... can I help...?"

_.... she's so worried..._

Hora swallowed, her breathing settling again as she forced it to.

_... I hate it when people sound like that.... I've always hated.... being worried over...._

_...shit..._

"...s...sorry..." Hora mumbled, Lucy blinked. ".... I'm.... good now. Really.... I wasn't trying......" she sighed, her head lifting slightly to meet Lucy's gaze tentatively, straightening up enough she wasn't holding her weight on her hands anymore.

"..... um.... sort of." She mumbled, Lucy blinked. "... sick.... I mean.... I've been that way for a few weeks... but I thought I'd gotten it over it by now." She smiled slightly, nervously almost. She shrugged a little, "... guess I'm not quite over it."

".... if you've been sick why are you out here working..?" Lucy mumbled,

"... cause I'm on a job. Feelin' a little bad ain't about to stop me." She replied softly,

"... is it really bad? You're looking a little pale, Hora...." Lucy murmured, Hora shook her head slightly,

"Nah, I'll be ok, promise." Hora replied lightly, "Nothin' a little sleep can't fix anyway, don't look so worried." Lucy frowned slightly,

".... you work too hard." Lucy mumbled softly, shaking her head slightly. "... you should have said something, we could have waited a few more days until you were feeling better, you know." Hora smiled slightly,

A few days would have probably helped, a few weeks more too... but she wouldn't dare admit to it.

"... hmmm... well we're almost finished, yeah?" Hora hummed, "We can take a break after we get out of here and find that necklace you guys came for." She smiled nervously, "... I'm... sorry," Hora mumbled, her voice dropping as Lucy blinked in slight surprise at the words. ".... really... I didn't want to worry you guys if I didn't have to... guess I mucked up on that anyway... so really... I'm sorry to worry you like this..." Her hand moved to rub the back of her neck a little self-consciously. ".... to be honest.... I didn't know you would be as worried as you are...."

"Of course I am!" Lucy snapped, catching Hora entirely off guard, and making her flinch backward at the sudden harshness in the blonde. "You're my friend! Of course I'm worried if you're feeling sick or getting hurt!"

"... friend...?" Hora breathed, the word appearing not on part of that damned voice, but in the blonde.

"Friends tell eachother when something's wrong, got it?!" Lucy hissed, looking agitated now. "Friend's keep an eye on eachother and always work to make sure the other is alright. Friends talk to eachother when something's bothering them, or isn't right, and friends always stick together- no matter what! And they don't keep secrets from eachother when those secrets can end up hurting you or someone else!" Lucy's brown gaze flashed, her expression pulling into something so steady and so serious. "Even if you're afraid of worrying someone else! Friends are supposed to worry about eachother, that keeps them alive! And if you let other people know how you're feeling that gives them a chance to help you! Friends are supposed to help eachother, no matter what, Hora!"

 Hora blinked, her face falling slack in shock as she simply held that burning brown gaze from the blonde, how... well, passionate she was about what had become something of a lecture. Or even scolding, and it caught her completely off guard. Because in reality it came out of near nowhere.

_What the.....?_

"Do you understand?" Lucy grumbled lowly, her eyes narrowed at Hora who let out a small, silent breath. 

"She's right ya know."

Lucy and Hora both jumped, their heads snapping around toward the voice and eyes wide as they landed on the figure of Natsu, who had appeared beside them along with Cancer with absolutely no warning at all. Below them the North Wind Lieutenant was knocked out cold, Hora could see some from leaning over the edge of the balcony a little- but she'd been so focused on Lucy she'd missed Pinky and Cancer finishing it.

_When the hell...?!_

Natsu stood with his hands on his hips, his expression neutral as he glanced down toward Hora steadily. "Friends gotta stick together and trust eachother."

_...... they keep saying that word... like it's natural.... like It should be.... obvious..._

"....heh...?" She huffed, words seemed apt to just fail. 

He smirked slightly, "Ah, come on don't give me that face. We're all friends, yeah?" Her breathing caught in her throat this time around, her eyes gleaming as she saw Lucy smiled slightly her way.

_...... friends....._

".... even if I'm Saber....?" Hora mumbled, it being the only response she managed. Honestly, hearing them say it so easily... they'd only known eachother a few days, and certainly not long enough..... well....

"Of course!" Lucy said quickly,

"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not." Natsu smirked, "A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."

"That's right. We like you as a friend for who you are, not what Guild you're a part of." Lucy assured easily.

Hora glanced slowly between the both of them, her hands pressed lightly against the ground between her legs and her shoulders sagging slightly.

_....... Brother....._

They just kept smiling, so content and so serious about it all.

_....... Brother.... I remember the last time..... It felt like this......_

She swallowed slightly, her eyes falling slightly.

_..... it..... It happened just as quickly then as it did now..... I knew how_ _**I** _ _felt.... But that word never popped up so fast....._

* * *

_".... Travel with me a few days then." She said at length, "Show me what you've got up your sleeves. We can get to know each other a little more, and_ _test_ _out your skills." She smirked slightly. "Make sure you've got what it takes to be SaberTooth Wizards, hmm?"_

_Rogue and Sting_ _smiled at the words, finding it as a sort of challenge, feeling excitement well inside of them. Immersed in a new sense of adventure and even an inkling sense of... Hope, they failed to notice the fearful look in her dark blue eyes, and the clear apprehension to the idea in her gaze. They didn't see the look of worry and fear on her face as the grinned at her, following along behind her as she lead the way forward toward the north, they didn't see the haunted look on her face as she looked ahead, the clear unhappiness._

_They just.. Wanted somewhere to go, to call home, to belong..._ _..._

_It had happened so fast, one minute they were strangers, the next... In those few days heading back toward the Guild, something changed. They grew closer, they became_ _**friends** _ _... True friends._

_She cared for them, wanted them safe...... She loved them, without knowing she could ever love anyone like she loved those four. They were her family, she never thought family would be a part of her life again._

* * *

.... But she'd never dared call them friends out loud, not until weeks had passed, not until she was _sure_ they had to have felt the same way. Because who would consider a total stranger 'friend' after no more than three days?

_...... I thought..... I mean.... I think of them that way... I guess...... But I thought.... I always thought it took longer... Than that.... To_ **_count_ ** _....._

And what Lucy said? And Natsu too...?

_...... Brother..... Have I been.... Looking at it wrong the whole time....?_

She bit the inside of her cheek, doubt swirling inside her stomach and her heart now where she hadn't expected it to.

_...... Have I been thinking about it all wrong....?_

But..... Even in doubt and worry now.... It felt better. It felt nice.

She smiled softly, nodding her head a little as she glanced to Natsu and Lucy both- familiar faces from here on out to be sure..... Friendly faces.

She never thought anyone could feel like friends in so little time, and it be _real_.

But this feeling in her chest was assuredly real.

_.... They almost make me wish I'd ended up in Fairy Tail instead._

But just almost.

Her friends in Sabertooth were too important to her to wish she'd never been in Saber, they were too important even with how shitty things had gotten and how she'd become a slave to a tyrannical mad-man. Knowing them made it worth it.

"Yeah, friends." Hora smiled softly, her head tilting as Lucy, Cancer and Natsu alike smiled in return. "... And I will do my best, to listen to what you said, Lucy. Promise."

"Good to hear." Lucy smiled, Hora chuckled under her breath slightly.

Lucy blinked, her smile fading slightly for a split second at the calm and cheerful expression from the Saber Girl. She didn't know what caught her attention in that instant, but she faltered slightly trying to figure out what about that look stood out to her.

She shook her head slightly, banishing the thought and turning her head, smiling up at Cancer. "Thank you for all your help, Cancer. You did splendidly."

"Anytime, ebi~" the Spirit smiled, before he faded from sight and back into the Spirit World.

Hora's eyes cast to the right, her smile dropping as she blinked a few times.

"....ah.... Where's Happy?"

"Happy?" Natsu echoed, his hands falling from his hips.

Lucy blinked, her eyes following Hora's to see the space where Happy had previously been standing was empty and lacking the blue Exceed.

"... Where did he go...?!" Lucy stammered,

"Happy! Buddy where are ya?!" Natsu called quickly,

"Guys!! Come look at this!!"

Happy's voice echoed down the hallway that lead off the balcony they were on. He sounded fine though.

"...... Guess we oughta go see what's up." Hora mumbled, shrugging slightly only to wince as the wound on her back was pulled painfully. Lucy and Natsu alike stiffened at the sudden show of pain,

"We need to treat that wound, Hora." Lucy reminded, Hora nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I know. But let's worry about it once we figure a way out of here, okay?" Hora murmured, "I'm good for now. Really." Lucy looked skeptical, but she seemed to realize Hora was right- it would do better to get out of this place first before letting their guards down entirely.

"... alright, but please take it easy, ok?" Lucy sighed, Hora nodded.

"You got it." She smirked, her blue gaze casting Natsu's way as he held his hand out toward her. She blinked, before smiling softly and taking it, he pulled her to her feet with ease, nodding slightly at her, before helping Lucy up to.

Hora hooked her arms behind her back, waiting for Natsu and Lucy to start forward down the hallway, before trailing after them quietly.

The hallway ended in a large round room that was lit up by Lacrima hung from the walls, the band of the three of them coming to a halt in the doorway and eyes widening slightly at what sheer collection of objects had been piled away inside. They ranged from furniture to books, to odd little trinkets and jewelry and clothes- to weapons and money

"Woah, there's so much stuff in here!" Natsu breathed, hands on his hips and eyes sweeping the room to land on the small blue blob that was Happy- who was sifting through a chest on the opposite wall with the curiosity of- well, a cat. 

"I think that guy mentioned he had a lot of things that weren't 'technically his'." Lucy mumbled,

".. yeah, but this guy's like a hoarder." Hora mumbled softly, her arms unhooking from behind her back as she looked around, oblivious of Natsu moving farther in when her eyes found her shoes tosses away at the wall to her left. She stepped in that direction, letting out a sigh of relief as she bent down to pick them up, and found not just the boots, but the Calling Card she had made among them.

_... I'm glad that didn't get lost...._

She sweatdropped slightly,

".... I really hope they didn't try and call when I didn't have it on me.... man... they're gonna kill me...." she mumbled under her breath, grimacing to herself as she held the card to her chest, before placing it in her back pocket, and settling in to slipping her shoes back on.

"I bet ya that necklace we're looking for is in here somewhere!" Natsu smirked, leaning down to start pawing through another crate of items.

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed, "I bet ya there's a juicy fish to eat in here too~!"

"My stomach's rumbling now." Natsu smiled, though his digging into the box never ceased as Hora and Lucy began to move around and look through things too. After awhile of searching Natsu's voice broke the silence,

"Luce! You have that picture of the necklace with you still?" Natsu called, Lucy nodded slightly, producing a small, faded and folded photo from the small leather pouch attached to her key ring. The blonde moved toward Natsu to hand the photo over,

He glanced at it, before he pulled up a long, thin silver chain to which a a small locket inlaid with emerald and crimson stones along the edges hung.

"Look right to you?" He asked, Lucy glanced to the picture in his hand and smiled, nodding happily.

"I can't believe we found it so easily!" She sighed,

"I dunno, it looks like this guy collects a lot of stuff. He's probably got somethin' from every town North Wind's been hitting in here." Natsu replied, tucking the necklace away inside his shirt and he stood up again. "You said you were lookin' for a way to their Guild Hall, right Hora?"

"Yeah, Salamander." Hora replied, calling over her shoulder as she sifted through a box full of papers.

"I grabbed this off that guy down there. He was trying to stick it in the lock of the door." Hora blinked, her head tilting up as she turned Natsu's direction.

His hand stuffed itself inside his pocket as he tossed something her way, Hora's hand easily moving up to catch the long, thin black key he'd thrown her way. She tilted her head at it, eyes widening slightly, feeling the minute her hand made contact with the key that some small burst of Magic shocked her, not enough to hurt, but enough to let her know that there was some sort of Spell connected with it.

"I dunno why he was trying to unlock the door for if he's the one that shut it in the first place, but he seemed pretty freaked out. Like he was plannin' on running away." Natsu shrugged, "I ain't sure that key's got anything to do with finding their Guild Hall, but I figured you'd wanna check it out anyway."

"..... it's Magical." She mumbled, Lucy and Natsu blinked at the words. "...... you said he was trying to stick it in the door downstairs?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm...." Hora hummed under her breath, her eyes moving from observing the key to the papers she had previously been sifting through. They looked like a bunch of orders and inventory letters- lists of names of the people who had fallen into the trap as they had. But there were a few other things too, including something that looked like an evidence list swiped from the Rune Knights of one of the North Wind Mages that seemed to have been caught.

_'-3 Magic Rings, of various caliber._

_-Boots with a Speed Charm placed upon them_

_-467 Jewel_

_-Fragments of a metal key; purpose unknown *_

_-Silver daggers'_

Hora's eyes narrowed to slits, her eyes trailing to the very end of the page toward what footnote had been placed there;

_' *** As the suspect was apprehended, they took the time to destroy the key to which the fragments have been enclosed, rendering it useless. Questioning and interrogation of the subject has yielded no answers to it's use, or why it was sure to have been destroyed before being detained. '_

Her eyes moved toward the key in hand, biting the inside of her cheek in thought.

..... why destroy a simple key before getting arrested? What is it supposed to open? Surely it couldn't have been the door downstairs, why would anyone want in here?

She blinked,

_Wait.... what if it doesn't go to specific door? But to a specific place instead?_

Her heart sped up, excitement and musings beginning to swirl through her head incessantly, all the small little rumors and details she'd been hearing, her own ideas- what it meant that the North Wind Lieutenant had been trying to use this key on a door he had locked without using any key the first time around.

It was a theory of course, and she would need to test it- but there was only one answer that sprung up in her mind that made any sort of sense, and she felt her heart speed up more- excitement, maybe.

_Is this it? Is this how I get into North Wind's Main Building?_

Her suddenly racing heart slammed to a halt though, something cold and heavy dropping into her stomach.

_..... to face the Guild Master, and not just him.... but the Demon too._

Her grip on the key and the paper in front of her tightened a little. Her eyes fell closed, forcing herself to calm and relax though suddenly it was quite hard to do so.

_..... I can't turn back. I'm out here and I have to... I have to face it. I have to win. I promised..._

She sighed, the breath low and slow as she set the paper down, tucking the key away inside of her pocket and shooting Natsu a small nod.

"Thanks for giving this to me, Salamander. I'll have to mess with it a little to find out where it goes, but I'm sure it'll help out." Hora told him lightly, he nodded. "Seems you guys have finished your Job, hmm?"

"Nope!" Natsu smirked, she blinked, sweatdropping slightly at the suddenly.... evil smile that passed over his face.  "We ain't done till this place is ashes, hehe~!"

"Preferably only _after_   we've managed to get out, Natsu." Lucy reminded quietly, looking exasperated.

"Well yeah, duh." Natsu deadpanned, Lucy shrugged.

"Sometimes with you it's hard to guess." The blonde sighed, Natsu frowned slightly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You're kind a wildcard, Natsu." Happy smiled, "Sorry to break it to ya, buddy. But it's true."

"Shut up!"

Hora chuckled, she could feel the sudden lump in her core lightening and her nerves settling to at what lightness the sudden arguing seemed to bring with it. They seemed to have a knack for lightening the mood, even if they weren't purposely trying to at times.

"Alternatively, Salamander." Hora broke in easily, stilling the argument quickly before it became too heated. "We can just call the Council to come in and arrest these guys. They might even be able to track down the people that got caught here, and maybe return other's property too." She explained with a light wave of her hand around the room, "We already derailed their operation, there's not much point in destroying evidence that could prove useful." Natsu blinked, his expression falling in slight wonder and surprise as he nodded slightly.

"That's right, you're working for the Council, huh?" He hummed, she nodded. He smiled, "Well, that sounds like a good plan to me!" He paused, "... how are you gonna get a hold of them though?" He mumbled in question,

"We gotta get out first. But any Communication Lacrima will do- I'm sure there's one around here somewhere I can take with us." Hora replied lightly, "Better get looking for the exit, yeah?"

They nodded, smiling her way and agreeing easily as they started back down the hallway.

"We'll let you do the talking with those Council guys, Horatia." Natsu called over his shoulder toward her, "They'll probably try to arrest us if we try to bud in, hehe~"

"That's because you're always destroying things wherever you go." Lucy piped in, Natsu sweatdropped, chuckling nervously but he didn't argue. Hora simply nodded in agreement to the idea, though inwardly she wasn't all that excited at the prospect of talking with anyone from the Council.

Hora let out a low breath, her eyes falling to the floor as she trailed along behind them silently. The Fairy Tailer's had found what they came for and that meant they were likely to be leaving soon, as expected, they likely had other things to get to. She'd known that, and she hadn't wanted them involved anymore than they already were.

Every step down that hallway felt heavier though, every step out of this place was another step closer to when she'd be on her own again. Alone and facing North Wind and that Demon all on her own..... and she couldn't tell them that. She'd have to smile and wave them off, assuring them she was only researching and she wasn't going to be anywhere near any of the big fighting... when in reality, she was going to be smack dab in the biggest, most dangerous fight of all- and likely very, very soon.

And she was walking into it willingly..... but not out of resignation, not anymore.

She'd left home feeling like she'd never be back there again, and she'd just accepted she might never come back, because she didn't see any other outcome. But now something had changed. She was scared as hell about it, terrified even, but she felt.... determined.

_....I promised I would come back. And I swear, I will. I will win and I will see you four again._

_I promise._


	13. Alone Again?

**Chapter 13**

**Alone Again?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

Hora bit down on her tongue to keep herself from wincing aloud- she didn't want Lucy to know how painful having the blonde wrap the bandages around her shoulders and torso was, not when she was trying so hard to help. She winced under her breath, her eyes falling closed and teeth grinding down on one another as she kept her hands on her knees, her fingers digging into them slightly and sitting cross legged on the floor.

Natsu and Happy had turned around, their backs to the two girls as Hora's shirt remained folded lightly on the ground next to her- having taken it off so Lucy could get a better look at the wound and treat it.

"... this wound is really deep, Hora." Lucy mumbled, "... It could probably use some stitches..."

"Nah, it'll be ok, promise." Hora replied lightly, smiling gently over her shoulder toward the blonde. "Wrapping it will do just fine, I heal pretty well so it's not a problem. Thank you for helping treat them though, I appreciate it."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhmm, my Magic helps me heal a bit faster than most people, so it's really not so bad." Hora replied, "Trust me, I'm being one hundred percent, completely honest. I'm gonna be fine."

".... alright." Lucy relented, her voice low. Hora could almost imagine the blonde frowning, but didn't turn her head enough to see.

"Speaking of Magic, Hora." Natsu piped in, Hora stiffened slightly. "You said somethin' earlier, one of those Spells." She sweatdropped slightly, her eyes falling on her hands in her lap as she bit the inside of her cheek.

_"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled lowly, too low for anyone to possibly hear normally, a waft of air rushing into the Fairy Tailers behind her, causing them to bring their hands up and cover their eyes, their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it._

_"Guardian Circle!!"_

.... she usually didn't say her Spells out loud, she could cast them in her head and so well enough. She'd actually been refraining from casting Spells aloud via vocal cue for a long while now, but sometimes she forgot to keep quiet and just went ahead and said them out loud without really thinking about it- as she had today. She regretted it, though, since her Magic was something of a sore topic and she really wasn't looking to get into it with him... or anyone, really.

"... it almost sounded like one of mine. With the way you cast it." He started, slowly almost as if he was waiting for some sort of reaction. He couldn't see her face, as his back was still turned toward them- and he had to stop himself before he did end up turning around in her direction.

Hora's fingers grazed along the small, carefully polished Communication Lacrima in her lap. It was something she had swiped from the inner most depths of the North Wind encampment, and she found herself drawing her fingers over the smooth glass surface for a few moments in hesitation.

It had taken them another hour or two, to navigate through the underground and find a way out. Now they had halted in front of a large, gaping hole cut into the mountain side that lead deep down into the facility itself- guessing from the sparse forest around them and what she remembered of the geography, they were a few miles from the fake Jiehel. There hadn't been much more fighting on the way back to the surface, there only seemed a few stragglers left- and Hora was fairly certain that some of the North Wind Mages had managed an escape. Not that it mattered much, not with her intent on moving forward to dismantle North Wind entirely. Those that got away today would end up caught in the end.

Of course, she'd be alone when the time came....

She sighed slightly, biting the inside of her cheek a little.

She had contacted the Council, and told them where to go and what they would likely be finding in this place. She had suggested to the Fairy Tailers that they get going before the Council showed up, but Lucy had insisted on wrapping her wounds beforehand- so there they were, resting for a moment as the blonde worked away until they eventually started off again. Probably to the real Jeihel, though honestly she was tired- and wouldn't care if they slept outside instead.

The Key that Natsu had found for her was safely tucked away in her pocket along with the Calling Card she'd made. She'd have to have a look at tinkering with that key a little later, for now she felt so drained she hadn't the mental capacity to really do anything with it.

"..... it would be a little familiar... I suppose." Hora murmured softly, surprising herself as she found the words and the willingness to garner Natsu a response. ".... it's not so different from your Magic, Salamander... since I use a type of Slayer Magic too."

"Slayer Magic?" Lucy and Happy echoed in surprise,

"Like that Zancrow guy I met on Tenrou. He was a Fire God Slayer." Natsu mused, Hora's interest peaking only slightly at the familiar name. "Are you one of them? A 'God Slayer'?"

"... no, it's a different type. Not God Slaying Magic, or Dragon Slaying Magic. Mine's rarer than both of those..... to be entirely honest I don't know anyone else with my type of Slayer Magic." She swallowed slightly,

".... it's called Devil Slaying Magic. And the base Element I use is Fire, like you."

"Devil Slayer..?" Everyone echoed softly, the words foreign on their tongues and the concept all the more unfamiliar. Because Dragon Slayer made sense, Dragons were tangible for them,at least mostly... but Devil Slayer? How does one even learn such a Magic?

"... I... I have never heard of it before..." Lucy mumbled, Hora sighed slightly.

"... you wouldn't have...." Hora replied softly, Lucy pulled back slightly.

"... I'm all done." The blonde murmured, Hora nodded her way as she pulled her shirt into her hands and over her head. Wincing under her breath, she pulled it down and let out a small sigh, her fingers fuddling with the buckle around her neck slightly.

"Thank you." Lucy nodded in return as she got to her feet, her hands on her knees as she waited for Hora to adjust her shirt back the way she liked, before offering a hand to pull her back up. Hora's hands fell on her hips as she turned toward everyone, Lucy stepping up beside her

".... did you learn your Magic from..... a 'devil', or somethin'? Like how I learned mine from a Dragon?" Natsu murmured, Hora blinked.

".... Ah... No. That's not how it works. I learned it from someone else, someone human." Hora murmured quietly, though 'learned' wasn't quite right... More forced. Natsu nodded slightly, looking ready to ask another question- but he stopped himself. Maybe he could tell how much she'd rather not discuss her Magic... Maybe.

".... It's.... Just complicated, honestly." Hora mumbled quietly, Natsu blinked. ".... I wouldn't even... Know where to start... Explaining it...." 

And that really was the truth of it

"Alright, so how about we head into town and grab some grub, huh?" Natsu smirked, his fangs flashing in a tooth grin as he easily changed the subject. Hora smiled slightly, nodding toward him, letting out a small sigh under her breath.

_So he does know when to quit asking..._

"I'm starving!" Happy mewed, Natsu nodded in agreement.

"I could go for something to eat." Hora nodded, "Closest place is Jeihel, the _real_ Jeihel." She chuckled under her breath a little, "... We probably ought to see about tearing down the Illusion that's hiding the road to it, while we're on our way."

"Are you gonna be OK traveling all that way, Hora?" Lucy asked, earning blinks from everyone else. "Are you feeling ok enough? You still look a little pale... I don't want you to push yourself if you're feeling unwell."

"Are you sick or something Hora?" Happy asked, his head tilting slightly as Lucy asked the question.

"Yeah, you OK?" Natsu mumbled, "... I mean I heard you two talking about it earlier but..."

Hora sighed slightly, shaking her head slightly as she smiled, her arm lifting as she wrapped her arm around Lucy's neck, pulling the blonde closer as her other arm wrapped around her shoulder. Lucy blushed, blinking several times in shock as she went rigid, pulled into Hora so easily and so quickly she hadn't any time to react as Hora rest her cheek against the top of Lucy's head, the blonde's face getting pushed slightly into Hora's heart.

"... Geez... You're freaking adorable..... Hehe..." Hora murmured softly, Lucy blushing a bit harder though Hora didn't see it. ".... You're really such a kind person, and so honest too.... And you're cute when look all worried, Lucy."

"H-Hora..." Lucy stammered, nearly bright red now and her heart pounding in her ears at the compliments and the incredibly kind and even charming set of words.

".... I am fine, though... I promise. I can make it all the way to Jeihel for some food, but if I start feeling worse I will tell you, alright?" Hora murmured softly, "I've just been a little under the weather lately is all, you don't need to get all worked up." She added, her eyes landing on Natsu and Happy alike with a small, soft smile.

"You've been sick the whole time?" Happy pressed, "But you've been acting fine..." Natsu blinked, his eyes narrow slightly as he cast a glance Happy's way- somehow he didn't look like he agreed, but Hora wasn't sure that was it.

"... And for the most part I _am_ fine." Hora replied, "Seriously, trust me yeah? Let's get going, I'm really hungry." she chuckled, earning small smiles of amusement from the two boys.

"Yeah!"

"Aye sir!"

Hora let Lucy go gently, smiling toward the blonde who still looked a bit flushed, her hands holding her cheeks as she grimaced, hoping the heat in her face would go away. Lucy wasn't quite sure why Hora had done that, or what had brought on the rather unusual words from the Saber girl- and to be honest, she couldn't help but feel flustered at them.

"Good to go, Lucy?"

Lucy blinked, her eyes finding Hora who was still grinning at her, her head tilted in the direction of the road as Happy and Natsu waited patiently a few steps ahead of them. She nodded a little, her eyes glinting slightly.

"Yeah."

* * *

 

_This town is... Super sketchy._

Hora glanced to the side, feeling a little wary as the felt several eyes latch on and follow their movement in the orange glow of the setting sun overhead. Jeihel had been a place they'd hoped to find leads on North Wind, so it was no wonder it would be a bit less reputable than your average town- but it was just more... tense, than anything. Like everyone was afraid of talking to eachother or too loudly, there were people hunched and dodging down side streets- and others walking along as they were, but staring at nothing but the ground underfoot, like they were afraid to make eye contact with anyone.

It seemed a bit less dark and grimy than that of Golio a few days before hand, maybe a little more like any regular old city.. but Hora felt her nerves on edge the minute they stepped foot inside the confines of the town. And she was so worn out and weary from Over-Drive and fighting and just walking here, her nerves being on such a high had her feeling a little dizzy, and she hated it. She almost wished they'd just camped out in the meadowland surrounding, where there would be less eyes scanning them from places unseen- but ever burning on her back.

... or maybe that feeling was just the wound across her shoulder and spine.

They'd backtracked to the fork in the road that had lead them toward the trap of the fake Jeihel, this time with Hora actually managing to _see_ the air vibrating and shimmering, the Illusion that hid the real road and lead others down the wrong one. Though looking at it made her head hurt, she noticed it- this time around. Lucy had been quick to jump in and take charge of taking it down once Hora confirmed it was there, producing a Lightpen from her pouch and setting into rewriting the Runes that allowed the Illusion life- and the blonde was actually really good about it. Hora would have normally just dispelled it using her own Magic, but altering the Runes did the trick too- though she faintly wondered where Lucy had learned to write and alter them so quickly and easily as she had.

Entering Jeihel now, they were following along behind Happy and Nastsu- both of which unperturbed by the shifty figures and the tense silence, and all energy poured into their stomachs. Natsu's nose twitched incessantly as he followed it, assuredly locked to the scent of good food and nearly drooling already as he moved at a brisk pace, though only just. Hora smelled it too, something cooking, something that made her stomach rumble and her mouth water though her pace didn't pick up- she remained walking at Lucy's shoulder after the two boys, her arms crossing behind her back and sorely wishing she had taken time to change her shirt- seeing as how the back of the one she had on now and the right sleeve were all the way gone. The only consolation came from the fact that the bandages Lucy had woven around her shoulders hid her Saber Guild mark, that would have surly been visible otherwise.

She sweatdropped slightly, biting the inside of her cheek as shivers ran up her spine a moment, her eyes trailing across Natsu's back.

 _'...... I thought I saw it too.'_   The Voice murmured lowly, though the assertion did nothing to ease her nerves, or answer anything. _'... just a split second.... that boy did not look human.'_

She swallowed, shaking her head slightly and asking it to shut up- quickly.

_He's human, he can't be anything else... now drop it._

"Mmmmm, that smells great!" Natsu sighed, patting his stomach with a toothy grin as they rounded the corner and the road opened up into a square, shops and restaurants becoming frequent on all sides as the density of people got a bit thicker too- and the noise.

"Aye!"

"Let's eat up, hehe~!" Natsu grinned, he and Happy hardly able to contain themselves as they went inside the building that smelled the best to their noses, leaving Lucy and Hora behind slightly as they approached the door.

"We passed a few inn's on the way here, we can head out to look for a room and rest after we finish eating." Lucy murmured, casting a glance toward Hora who nodded slightly. "..... I could really use a bath.." Lucy sighed, grimacing. "I feel so dirty, after all that running around underground."

"I could go for one too." Hora mumbled, smiling lightly. Though sleep sounded better than anything, she didn't say so.

Natsu and Happy had already taken their seats and fired off orders to a waiter that looked nervous at all the instructions, Lucy and Hora chuckling under their breath at a familiar sight from a few nights ago- the dim, faintly lit inside of the restaurant felt a little close on all sides, but the smell of the food cooking and the murmur of voices all around lowered Hora's nerves a little. Though her shoulders seemed apt to stay tense, and she wasn't sure why... were they being watched? Was it having had her Magic brought up not long ago? The way Over-Drive had kicked in?

.... maybe it as because she knew that likely tomorrow, she would be parting ways with the Fairy Tailers, and North Wind, Neveleous, The Demon... they were just that little bit closer.

But even then there was something else, something sharper, deeper that settled into her core, and she couldn't shake the uneasiness.

_Enjoy this while it lasts Hora, you'll be on your own and facing something much worse very soon..... enjoy it, please._

So she did her best, despite the feeling, despite how strained and frayed she felt and how quickly her exhaustion seemed to be settling in once they set into eating. She laughed and talked away as they did and ignored the ache in her chest and the pain that flared from time to time, ignored the quick looks they received from people at other tables and grinned at the painfully familiar way Happy and Natsu stuffed their faces. Laughed, even though doing so pulled at the tear running across her back in a fiery flash of sheer pain- winced at it, though only just, she found herself too content and too happy to be spending time with them to really care about pain, or tiredness, Over-Drive, the incoming dread... none of it.

They left when their stomachs lay full and the spirits raised a little at it, moving off to find an inn and a place to stay for the night, Happy and Natsu grinning happily and in the most genuine way possible as they thanked Hora for the food (to which she happily paid for, again), Lucy nodding in agreement and giving her thanks a bit more softly- but no less earnestly. Though once they found a place to stay, the air laced with the scent of bubbling water and wet stone, Lucy paid- refusing to let Hora say anything of it, and she just let it go, knowing the blonde wouldn't have it any other way.

They all shared a room, a large room with a small table and mattresses laid out on the floor and a rice-paper wall that could be sled to separate it into two. The dropped their bags, still chatting away- though only briefly, before Natsu and Happy raced off to jump into the springs that accompanied the room and the back of the inn itself, looking like children at how quickly they raced off- but it made her laugh anyway. Hora trailed out after Lucy in the same direction, her eyes lingering on the bed that got left behind, the two of them making their way toward the back of the building in content silence, before slipping into the large, hardly steaming pool of water, the lanterns overhead glittering on the water's hazy surface, and the moon too as night set in deeper.

Lucy sighed as she sank into the water, her eyes falling closed as she settled into the water until it reached her chest, leaning back against the stone siding. Hora blushed slightly, biting down on the inside of her cheek as she stepped into the pool after, the space empty apart from them- the sound of Happy and Natsu laughing away filtered from the other side of the large wall that separated the baths. Hora winced slightly, the warm water stinging slightly against the wound on her back, but she ignored it as she sank into the water until it reached just under her nose, her eyes falling closed. Strands of her multicolored hair danced along the water's surface, turning a darker shade of red, pink and orange as it got wet.

"... mm.... this is nice, though I was kinda hoping the water would be warmer..." Lucy sighed, Hora blinked, her eyes only open halfway as she smiled slightly.

Lucy's eyes opened wide in surprise as she felt the temperature of the water rise several degrees, the air around then filling with steam and settling in at an utterly pleasant temperature that rivaled that of her own bath at home in Magnolia. Her brown gaze moved toward Hora, catching the Saber woman's smile and blue eyes.

"Easy enough fix." Hora murmured lightly, Lucy smiled.

"Thank you."

"You got it."

"....... Are you going to join the Grand Magic Games, Hora..?" Lucy asked after a long while of simple silence between them, Hora blinked. "SaberTooth is going to be there, right? Will you be in the events?"

".... Ah.. No." Hora smiled slightly, ".. The Team's already been picked. I don't really know how long investigating North Wind is gonna take, or if I'll be back in time to even watch so....ah... Besides, I'm not usually on the GMG team anyway." She replied, Lucy tilted her head slightly.

"But you're such a strong Wizard, I'd have thought for sure you'd be one of the regulars."

"No, the same five participate every year. It wouldn't matter if I was stronger than any of them, Master is set in his choices most of the time." Hora replied softly, "... But speaking of the GMG, Fairy Tail's planning to play, so are you hoping to be on the team...?"

She hoped her worry and uncertainty toward the idea didn't show through as she asked the question. Because despite herself- she did worry, she really did not like the idea of Lucy participating in the Games. A little offensive maybe, Lucy was strong in her own right and intelligent, she could very well handle herself- but she really didn't want her getting hurt at the hands of SaberTooth... It was a small mercy that Minerva wasn't going to be on the Team, as she was the most ruthless.

But that just reminded her that Yukino was part of the GMG, and her worry flared brighter.

And if Lucy did fight in the Games? And went up against the likes of SaberTooth? Hora knew her friends well and she knew they were good people at heart- but she also knew they would be ruthless, harsh- they had to be under that glare from Master. They couldn't risk being anything less than ruthless and mean, they had to win to save themselves from Jiemma's wrath.

A part of her wanted her friends and her Guild safe, yet another part wanted Fairy Tail (and most notably Lucy and Natsu) safe too... but she really couldn't have both.

"Mhmm, we're going to be training after we return the necklace." Lucy murmured, "Since coming back, everyone's so behind on everything... we need to shape up and get stronger to even be contenders in the Grand Magic Games. So we're hoping three months is enough." She smiled nervously though, sweatdropping slightly. "Though honestly, with all the other super strong people, and S-Class Mages in the Guild, I really doubt I'll be picked to join the Team. Master and the Guild are putting a lot of hope on that Prize Money, hehe...." Hora nodded slightly,

"... I see." She murmured, her eyes dropping to the surface of the water, hating the part of her that was happy Lucy said she probably wouldn't be in the Games. "...... so I figure you guys are gonna head out in the morning to return the necklace?" Lucy nodded,

"Yeah, we need to get going soon. We're supposed to be meeting up with the rest of our Team to start training." Lucy explained, Hora nodded slightly, remembering it being mentioned when Lucy's Calling Card had gone off. Lucy smiled slightly, her head tilting. ".. you know, Hora, you're welcome to come with us if you want. We wouldn't mind having you tag along."

Hora blinked, a little taken back by the offer and how it had come out of nowhere. For a minute she worried her disappointment in having them leaving so soon had shone on her expression, or maybe the fear of what was coming. Though nothing about Lucy's face gave any indication of either, she simply smiled kindly.

Hora shook her head slightly, her dark blue gaze glittering.

"... I'd love to... but I still have my own Job to work on." Hora's voice came out a bit softer than she intended it to, but she let it be. "... I have to pin down the exact location of North Wind's Guild Hall for the Council... and how to get there. I'll need a few days or a week to tinker with that Key that Natsu picked up... and even after that, I doubt I'll be done for some time." Lucy smiled slightly, looking a little disappointed at the answer herself, but nodding in understanding none the less.

"Thank you, for the offer though." Hora added softly,

"Of course, you're a lot of fun to be with, Hora." Lucy replied, Hora let out a small breath, blushing slightly though honestly it could have just been the bathwater- Lucy wasn't sure either which way.

"... hmm... there you go again, being all adorable." Hora murmured lightly, Lucy blushing furiously herself as she huffed, looking flustered.

"... why do you do that..?" Lucy sighed, Hora smirked.

"It's supposed to be a compliment." Hora replied easily, "... grant you, it _is_ a little amusing- you react just like Sting and Rogue do when I say things like that...." Hora's voice faded a little as her eyes fell closed, Lucy biting the inside of her cheek as she waited for the heat in her face to go away.

Something about the warmth and the water had her body relaxing all the way for the first time in.... she couldn't remember honestly. Even the dull ache in her chest and across her back faded, the throbbing and sting of ribs that were bruised and probably cracked faded into nothing as her mind threatened to go with it.

"Oooooh, I think Hora has a crush on you Lucy~!"

Hora and Lucy's eyes snapped open in shock at the sing-song voice, their heads snapping around and hearts racing as they spotted Happy's blue head peering over the wall from the other bath. The Exceed smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye and tail wagging as he looked down at them- Natsu's head poking over the wall next to him and looking interested.

"W-What?!" Lucy stammered,

"What the hell are you two doing...?!" Hora hissed, her heart racing as she felt the calm that settled in her core suddenly shattered by the interruption- and her face heated up, they weren't supposed to stick their heads over the wall!

"So, do you like girl's, Hora?" Natsu asked bluntly, Hora's face turning a deeper shade of red and Lucy's with it. Hora sank under the water a little more, her Magic flaring so more steam rose up from the bath to block the boy's sight a little more, her blue gaze flashing.

"Natsu!" Lucy snapped,

"O-of course not!" Hora snapped back, "What the hell kind of question is that?!"

"-Cause it's fine if ya do, I don't care either way. I'm just wondering." Natsu murmured, unperturbed by her reaction and her response.

"No! I do not like girls, not like _that!"_ Hora snapped,

"Ooooh, so you do like boys!" Happy smirked, "Do you have a crush on some boy then, Hora? Who is he?"

"No one!" Hora snapped back, hating how much hotter her face felt in the next instant. What the hell kind of questions were these?! "Even if I did- it's none of your damn business, cat!"

"Oh you definitely have a crush on someone." Happy smirked,

"Both of you idiots, go away!!!" Lucy snapped, face flushed in frustration and embarrassment alike as she picked up a loose rock from the edge of the bath and hurled it their way. It hit Happy square in the face and he toppled out of sight, Natsu looking stunned for a minute before he fell back at the second stone that Lucy threw at him. There was a a loud splash from the other side of the wall as both boys fell into it, silence settling again as Lucy huffed hotly,

Hora growled, her eyes shutting tight as she let herself sink low enough that her head went under the water completely, her hand moving up to place itself lightly over her chest as a pain flashed through it,

_Kill me now.... Why am I so flustered at that question...?_

She bit both sides of her cheeks, the heat of the water hardly felt like anything against her face and her skin.

_....... And why did my thoughts flash to one person in particular....?_

_'This subject, is one that I am not touching.'_ The Voice grumbled,

_..... god damn it..... I've never even thought about anything like that.... But when....._

She cringed, another sharp jolt of pain igniting in her core and chest so brightly she almost coughed- a bad combination with her head still under the water.

_...... Just... Just stop it, Hora.... Stop thinking about that......_

She stayed under the water a few long moments, long enough she felt her nerves settle again- at least a little. She took in a low, deep breath once she broke the surface, grumbling a few choice curses under her breath.

Romance and 'crushes' had never been a part of her life, she hadn't ever actively looked for someone she would consider that way and a relationship wasn't something she was looking for either. She'd been too focused on dealing with Jiemma and Minerva and keeping an eye on the Guild and her friends to let herself fall into something so personal. And she certainly had never been asked outright either, and having been so- why the hell did she feel so nervous about it?!

"... Sorry about them, Hora..." Lucy mumbled softly, earning Horatia's eyes. "Those two are idiots."

"It's fine.." Hora smiled slightly, "... I think they learned their lesson well enough, hehe..." Lucy chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of her neck a little in embarrassment.

They stayed a little while longer, chatting on all things inconsequential and mundane until they left the bath altogether, heading back to the room with Lucy now in her pajama's and Hora having pulled on a pair of dark crimson shorts and a black long sleeve shirt that fell off her shoulders. Her hair dripped slightly from the water as they walked back through the hallway, finding Happy and Natsu in the room before them and entirely unbothered by having been hit by Lucy beforehand. They didn't bring up the Crush subject either, thankfully- they just talked, laughed, sitting around one another on the floor and so completely content.

It was a good night, comfortable, fun.... even as Hora fell into silence after awhile, simply letting the Fairy Tailer's voices invade her mind.

"-what about you, Hora?" Happy grinned, his head turning toward the Saber woman only to cut himself off, eyes widening slightly to find she wasn't listening anymore.

Hora's eyes had fallen closed, her head in her arms as she lay on her stomach on one of the mattresses near them- where she had been staying ever so quietly and listening to them talk on and on. But her breathing had eased to something slower, lower- asleep, and completely unaware of Happy having asked anything.

Natsu and Lucy blinked, a little surprised because they hadn't even registered the fact that Hora hadn't said anything in awhile, let alone fallen asleep. Happy placed a paw over his mouth, smiling nervously.

"Oh, she fell asleep." He whispered, his voice dropping away so he wouldn't disturb her- though it hardly mattered, they had been talking away the entire time and Hora still hadn't woken up, she was just too tired.

"She's probably been feelin' pretty beat since we got out of that North Wind place." Natsu murmured, Lucy nodded slightly.

".. she kept saying she was fine, but I think she was tired too." Lucy agreed, her eyes shining as she let out a sigh. "She used up so much energy, on top of being sick, it's a wonder she kept on all day."

".....aye.."

"I think she was having fun, even if she was super tired." Natsu murmured, his lips twitching slightly in a small smile for a split second. He raised his hands above him in a stretch though, giving no time for comment on what he said. "... It's late, we should probably hit the hay too." Natsu smiled slightly, earning nods of agreement from everyone else.

The room was quiet, apart from the soft breathing as everyone fell asleep. Natsu glanced sideways, his eyes falling across Happy, to Lucy, and then finally toward Hora, who hadn't moved an inch, her breathing low and quiet even on his ears. She must have been exhausted, he'd figured she was since the fighting ended, but she'd kept up anyway.... almost like she had to. Like she was trying to cram in all she could in today, before it was all over. And he meant it- she had seemed genuinely happy, like she really was enjoying herself. She'd relaxed around them, almost all the way.

There was one thing though, one smidgen of that darker part of her he'd seen when they first met. That dark side of her that shown through when the feeling of her Magic got so strong, so potent- it had hit him, he felt it today and it stuck even now as he lay there in silence.

_The dim was split apart in a brilliant, violent wave of deep crimson fire that suddenly swept out across the stone floor and from their right, the brilliance sweeping forward in front of Lucy, directly between her and the Man, who's trailing hand was suddenly snatched away._

_Lucy blinked, her jaw falling and her heart leaping in her chest, her eyes riveted and reeling just like everyone else in the room at the sudden unexpected development. Lucy was so transfixed she hardly even felt that wash of heat roll against her body, or flinched at the flames licking so close to her own body, but never touching her._

_Hora's hand snapped down onto the Third Man's wrist with an iron grip, her hand and her arm stained black, the markings trailing up her neck and creeping across her right cheek, pricking just under her eye, her body dancing with fire and her hand burning the man's wrist immediately upon grabbing hold of him- he yelped, trying to pull free though Hora didn't let go._

_The bars that had previously separated the Cells were a heap of melted metal, the chains that had been holding her down a mess where she had been but seconds before, trails of liquid gray seeping into the stone and even melting the rock itself._

_The other North Wind Mage's eyes snapped around in utter shock, anger and hints of fear making it's way into their features at seeing Hora suddenly free and completely caught off guard by her sheer power._

_"H-How did she get free...?!"_

_"S-Shit!!"_

_"Hora..!" Lucy breathed, Hora didn't seem to hear anything though, she moved, swiftly, deftly, her eyes cold and face twisted in hardly contained fury....,_

_Hora's grip on the offending man's wrist tightened, her body snapping around as she twisted, throwing him and his unwanted attention on Lucy, clear through the opening that had appeared in the bars, flame dancing off her person and off the floor around her as he yelled, smashing into the ground down the corridor in front of them. The North Wind Mages recoiled, faces paling slightly and stunned, unable to move in their shock as their eyes landed on Hora, shaking as their gazes snapped from the black covering her skin and toward that icy blue Guild Symbol that remained clear under the pitch black consuming her person, visible with her sleeve having been destroyed enough with the sudden rise in power to let her shoulder-blade remain bare._

_"W-wait?!"_

_"She's SaberTooth?!?!"_

_"S-SHIT!!"_

_Hora hadn't paused for hardly a second, her seething dark blue gaze snapping immediately toward that man that stood beside the still downed Natsu, his hands swiping upward in reaction as he readied himself to throw his Magic toward her._

_Hora's Magic swept out over the ground in two directions, a wall of crimson, angry fire tearing up the floor and headed straight toward that man, and the other two North Wind Mages left standing behind her now, her arms swinging up around her body as she spun halfway._

_The look on her face was icy rage, dark..._ _murderous._

_The black markings spread further up her cheek, crossing over her eye as the heat rolling from her Magic seemed to triple._

_"Crimson Flame."_

_Her voice sent a shiver down Lucy and Happy's spines, their hearts skipping a beat in tune with Natsu's, a trickle of blood falling from his temple and his face tense as he watched Hora in rigid silence._

_The shouts of pain from the North Wind mages rung on the air with the hissing and the booming of Hora's Magic as it made contact with them, sending them flying and knocking them senseless instantly, even as their own Magic flared to try and defend against that fast moving wall of fire- they were absolutely no match for her, and the sheer extent her Magic had reached in such a small amount of seconds had them all reeling and breathless._

_"H-holy cow...!" Happy stammered breathlessly, Natsu sweatdropped, his eyes snapping from Hora for the first time toward the four North Wind Mages she had just disposed of so easily, his ears straining and still, blinking a few times._

_".... she knocked them all out..." The pinkette mumbled under his breath, his eyes trailing back toward Hora, who had halted for a moment, the flame dancing around her dying, slowly, her eyes closed and stiff._

Just for a little bit there, and only for the briefest of seconds- he'd been afraid, truly afraid of her and what malice had erupted inside of her- evil, even. The look on her face told him that she could and even might just burn those North Wind people to ash- but she didn't... and it seemed so hard for her to keep herself back from it. He could almost see the struggle in her, how hard she was trying to keep herself controlled, how painful even, that it was when she was trying to just stay... good, _her._

He wasn't a jumpy person by nature, Magic hardly made him tense unless it was aimed at him and likely to hurt- but Hora's Magic set him on edge. There was some part of him, somewhere deep in his core that recoiled at the feel of it. Instinct and feeling that usually came when he was in the presence of true, utter evil.

But that feeling hadn't been back since that one moment. Not _once_ , not when she was fighting alongside him, not when she was using her Magic... something about it, about her- it _changed._

It was like it had been a completely different Magic entirely. And he hadn't a clue why.

_Devil Slayer.... huh....._ _?_

* * *

 

' _It's coming, getting closer.... You can feel it.... Scratching at the walls, looming.'_

_Her skin was on fire, her veins lava... Her heart cold, icy cold._

_'Your body knows, your Magic knows.... It wants it, needs it... Needs to feel the filth, hear the screaming, watch as the life drains from a creature so wicked.... It's pulling you in, trapping you... You can't avoid it.'_

_Her Magic was clawing at her skin from the inside, itching it's way through every bone, every tendon, every muscle.... trying to get out. Burn._

_Her Magic wanted one thing, just one._

_'Slay the Demon.... Devil Slayer.'_

_"You have to do what I couldn't.... kill the beast.... Kill it before it kills you...!"_

_"Let me go!!!"_

_"You have to!!"_

_"NOOOOOOOO....!!!!!!! STOP..... STOP IT..... PLEASE...!"_

* * *

 

Hora jolted out of the dream, nightmare.... Vision, whatever the hell you wanted to call it. Her shoulders shook, her heart racing in her chest as the memory of searing flesh and agony ran along her arm and struck straight through her heart. Her head snapped up from resting in her arms to find a dark and silent room, her eyes flashing in the black as she left out a shaky breath- glad she'd snapped from it and _only_ jumped.

She bit the inside of her cheek, burying her face in her arms and growling under her breath- her stomach doing somersaults and hating the way her body trembled in the terror that came with the dream... The _memory_ of any of it.

The memory of him, that bastard who dragged her from the snow, took tight hold of her arm and poured his Magic into her. Forced that fire and flame from him into her body, forced it to burn the wound that should have killed her closed, forced it to take root in every inch of her, melded and bonded with her very soul and forced such darkness into her regardless of how much she screamed, how much it hurt, how she pleaded-

Her nails dug into her arms slightly,

_...... He tore a bloody hole in his chest.... Shoved his hand into me.... Forced this Magic on top of me... Forced that responsibility.... To kill a Demon...._

_.... I was a fucking kid...!_

She let out a shaky sigh, pushing herself up slowly to sit on her heels as her eyes fell into her lap.

_.... I wished I had just died..... I was supposed to die...._

She shook her head a little, cursing herself, cursing him- possibly the only person in the world she hated more than Jiemma. Whose name and whose memory had the Magic he forced into her burning brighter, wilder... Darker.

_"Gelidus Inferniom, the arctic hellfire of the north, isn't that right?"_

'... _. Ardendous_ _....... Arden_ _Douze..... An unpleasant man.'_ The Voice murmured softly, wispily. Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing as she bit down on her cheek. _'...... Imperfect..... a bully.... Criminal.... and a fool..... but even he tried. He tried, and failed... But tried none the less... To save those people.... Your people.'_

"...... Shut up, Lixue..." She grumbled under her breath, her voice shaking ever so slightly but there was anger there too, annoyance. Pain.

It made little sense to say the words out loud, seeing as how her thoughts were shared with his. But at the moment she hardly cared.

Hora got to her feet, her eyes closes and her hands balled at her sides. She stepped lightly around the bed that held Lucy, and Happy and Natsu alike, slipping from the room with little a sound.

 _'.... So you do remember my name.'_ The voice murmured softly, hissing almost in every corner of her mind and soul and she didn't have the patience for it.... She usually didn't, but less so now he brought up Arden.

_'You haven't dared to say it in years, Horatia. Though I do know you have issue with names.'_

".... Be quiet, _now_." Hora hissed, her feet taking her along the hallway before turning straight toward the door and the cool air outside. She walked along the stone pathway along the side of the inn, her hand trailing along the low stone wall. "... For once... Just be quiet.... Go back to silence..... You've been that way for years... Screw you for popping up again."

 _'You cannot be that angry.'_ The Voice- no, _Lixue_ \- murmured, _'..... My silence came with a price, finding my voice now in your thoughts ought to comfort you, at least a little.'_

"... How is having a know-it-all who never _shuts up_ talking in my head all the damn time supposed to be 'comforting'?" Hora snapped crossly, careful her voice never rose louder than a whisper. "The _only_ reason you're back is because of what Jiemma did, because of how badly he hurt me and how badly Over-Drive acted up."

Her footsteps halted, her movement halting as she glared at her feet, her shadow faint in what little moonlight shone overhead.

"..... You're still just as useless... Just as _caged_." Hora growled, "...... We're still trapped, and bound.... That hasn't gone away."

 _'.... You are right, we are still bound.'_ Lixue murmured, the voice that had been melding into her thoughts and through her head as easily as ever...

 _'..... infuriating as that is, demeaning even.... But do not write me off as useless. Those Fairy Tailers are not the only ones keeping you sane, keeping you from falling.'_ Hora stiffened at that, _'As long as you can hear me, you are not lost. Do not forget that.'_

"..... Eight years, Lixue..... It's been eight damn years.... And I _haven't_ needed you." Hora hissed, "... I've been fine with you sleeping, I've never fallen that far, not in _eight damn years._ "

 _'You had those four, the ones you call friends- for those eight years.'_ Lixue reminded, _'... In all that time, they have done what the Fairy Tailers are doing... They've kept you human. Kept you from being consumed by the darkness. You have never been away from them long enough to stop feeling their influence... But you are going to be alone now. And for a very long while, and in the midst of using your Magic for what it was_ _meant_ _to do.'_

Horatia swallowed slightly, her eyes flashing as she let her elbows lean against the wall, her hands falling behind her head as she bowed it.

_'The longer you are out here hunting this thing alone, the more you will begin to lose it, the more quickly you will lose yourself- as you already had happen.'_

Hora's shoulders hunched,

_"... You were gonna kill that guy, weren't you?"_

' _Like it or not, you need me.... You need someone. You are strong-willed and stubborn, you can control yourself- but never alone. I am here for a reason, I am what keeps your Magic from destroying you..... You will need me to win- to win, and do so not losing yourself along the way.'_

_You're alone again Hora.... But that's always been a lie, hasn't it? You just wanted to forget him.... Forget that you can never get rid of him._

_'..... With me, working together... You can win. You can be good, you can save yourself.'_ Her eyes narrowed a little at that, _'..... Do not ignore me, Horatia.... I need you just as much as you need me. I have not forgotten that.'_

Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening at the soft, nearly gentle words.

".... Excuse me?" She said breathlessly, ".... You _what_ now...?"

_'..... You very well heard me.'_

"..... Yeah, but you've never said _that_ before... _Ever_..." Hora murmured, "... What the hell has gotten into you? You've never been so freaking..... Pushy, about any of this... Or so..... Oh I don't know.... Helpful? Or at least trying to be? What the hell changed, Lixue?"

 _'..... you.'_ Was the soft reply, Hora blinked in surprise at the answer. _'..... golden-blue fire.... Arden could do blue... but never gold. There have been few of you with this power over the centuries.... and not one has managed golden fire, not one... but the very first. That first human who created this Magic, not for power or fame or glory- but to protect others from Demons and Devils alike.'_

Hora felt her heart skip a beat, her eyes widening a little.

No way..... how long ago would that even have been..? Centuries? Thousands of years, and she was only the _second_ person..?

_'..... there have been so many with this Magic who only wanted power. It takes a truly good soul to even produce such golden flame, a soul that wants to protect, defend and guard against evil. There have been so many that have ignored me, shut me out and relished in it when they fell, when the darkness and the evil consumed them entirely. This Magic was meant to do good, it was meant to test the will and the soul of those who wielded it, and prove that they were worthy of it. So many have used it for bad, turned it against the humans it was meant to protect.... but you, you stubborn, annoying girl. You did not ask for this Magic, you didn't want power.... you were forced into this life and you have only ever sought to use it for good. You've been tested day in and day out and though you come close to breaking point, you have never fallen. Gripe and yell at me all you do, you still listen- you have not shut me out. Not like Arden, not like those before him.... you listen. You work with me, though you may not like to.... you with the golden fire and the will to guard human lives, I have to help you, however I can- because this Magic, our Magic... it was meant for someone like you. This Magic is good with it in you- stronger in you, than it has ever been since the very start.'_

How.... how was she supposed to... feel.... about all of that....?

There was something cool and pleasant in her heart, something soothing, and it grew stronger then, thrummed with life where it had been so, so still for so very long. Her hands fell from being locked behind her head, one of them falling lightly over her heart as her eyes flashed, glassy and she swallowed back the lump in her throat.

"... that..." She breathed, her voice cracking painfully as her eyes shut tight. How long had she been doubting herself? Hating herself and her magic and so afraid that she was gonna lose it all the way? How long had she thought of herself as evil? A god damn Monster? All because of her Magic and what it did to her?

How long had she been under the impression the only thing this Magic was good for was _hurting?_ Destroying?

_Killing?_

How long had she been fighting against herself and her Magic because she thought that's it's inherent nature was only to do harm? To anyone and everything? How long had she been fighting to change it into something better, even though she always thought she couldn't make something so evil anything good? How fucking long had she just thought it was hopeless...?! That in the end it didn't matter what she did or who she was, she was evil, tainted- and try as she might she would always end up bad?!

She'd been fighting a hopeless battle all these years and she had known it... there was no better way! There couldn't have been! But-

She hissed, her eyes scrunching tight a little harder as the tears slipped through and splashed against the stone wall underneath her.

"... damn it... I could have used that.... all of that..... fucking... years ago... you ass...." She hissed, "..... I thought..... I never had a chance to be good..... what the hell do you... f...fucking mean....?! 'This Magic isn't meant for bad'....?! How couldn't it be.....?! It makes me... it makes me want to hurt people.... it makes it so hard... to just think....! It's awful... it's evil and it's twisted.... i..it's twisted me... broken me.... t....t-tried so hard to make me.... k-kill....!" Her fists clenched, pressing against the wall.

"... h-how the hell..... c-could it be m-meant for a..anything good, Lixue...?! Why the hell.... Why did you never fucking tell me....?! I've known since I was _six_ , you bastard...!! I've thought I had nothing but evil in me for years..!!"

_'.... you never given in to what corruption it's pushed you into. I wasn't sure of who you were or if you would end up as they all have.... As Arden did. I wasn't sure until you managed that golden fire, I didn't know..... And when you did it the first time, I was still bound too tightly, I could not tell you- and for that there is only one person to blame.'_

Hora stiffened, her tears stalling as she bit the inside of her cheek in agitation.

That first time her fire turned gold? That was years ago, _years_!

Years she could have known?! Years ago that he could have told her all of this?! Things she probably _needed_ to hear?!

"Tch....... Fucking... Jiemma..." She hissed,

 _'... Indeed. He has been an issue for far too long.'_ Lixue murmured, a little grudgingly. Though he hardly focused on it for long,

_'.... You know now, Horatia. I promise, this Magic is not meant for evil... It does not need to be evil in you. You have the will and the soul to make it good again, use it for what it was meant to be used for.'_

Hora took in a deep breath, wiping at her eyes with her sleeves and straightening up. She huffed, her hands moving toward her face as she clapped her palms against her cheeks a bit roughly, her cheeks stinging slightly at the action but it got rid of the churning turmoil, the hurt and the sadness and the agitation too.

"...... You are still an ass, Lixue." Hora grumbled hotly, "..... I was a little kid, I was scared and I was afraid of _everything_. You could have told me something, anything to make me feel like less of.... An _abomination_. You know how bad it got, how hard it was.... You know how close I came to just-" she cut herself off, her anger and annoyance rising a little higher.

"..... Grraaaahhhh, you are _awful_." She hissed, ".... But damn it.... Fine..... 'Use my Magic for what its meant for'.... I'll do it. Only for that damn Demon, never on people.... I will only slay Demons. And I will slay this one... I am going to win."

"I have got to win... I _will_ win."

_I have to, to keep them safe, to see them again... prove myself, even._

_'Hmm, this confidence is new..... will you live up to it?'_

_Hell yeah, and I'm not dying... I promised that. And I'm gonna keep that promise._

There was a burning, some strong, powerful flame- confidence maybe, but it didn't sound quite right. It was more determination, hope even... she had to stick to her promise, had to prove she was better- strong enough. Especially so, seeing as how Deliora was meant to have been-

"Hora? Who the heck are you talking to?"

Her thoughts, her determination, her motivation and her sudden steely nerves crashed to an utter halt. She whipped around, her breath catching in her throat and heart skidding to a halt at the voice out of near nowhere in the silence and dim of the town around her.

_S-Shit...!?_

Her eyes locked with Natsu's, his head tilted and arms crossed over his chest. Hora grimaced, her hands clapping over her mouth and sweatdropping as she flushed,

_Crap, crap!!_

_I was talking out loud... about ALL of it! Shiiiiittttt!_

"Oh, ah... S... Salamander..." Hora stammered, her heart pounding in her ears as he simply quirked an eyebrow at her and her reaction.

_'....you had probably best not talk to me out loud, Horatia.'_

"..... ah... umm....." She smiled nervously, her thoughts whirling and trying very hard to come up with some excuse, some reason that would make sense and not sound... insane.

But her mind came up blank, and she deflated a little.

"..... how.... much of that.... did you hear...?" She asked slowly, her arms falling as she hooked her hands together nervously.

"... everything from 'You're still an ass'..." Natsu murmured slowly, Hora felt her heart drop to her feet.  "I saw you were gone, and thought maybe ya had another nightmare, but you've been talking like you're having a full conversation..... by yourself."

_... Another nightmare? When the hell did he know I even had a first one?_

"..... Ah...."

"Hora, what's going on?" He asked softly, ".... You're not just out here to find that Guild Hall for the Council, are you?"

Hora took a step back, her eyes falling as she leaned against the wall behind her. She sighed slightly,

".... No.... That's not all of it." She mumbled softly. Natsu blinked, though she didn't see it. "....... It's more complicated than that."

"... Those North Wind Guys said their Guild Master's controlling a Demon of Zeref." he mumbled, "..... You're a Devil Slayer.... So is that what you're out here for? To slay it?"

Hora stiffened slightly,

"By _yourself_?" He asked, his tone growing a little harsher. "Hora, those things are dangerous. Even if your Magic's made for it, how could you possibly even think about doing it alone?"

"....... It's complicated." She mumbled,

"Don't give me that!" Natsu huffed, "Come on, you're smarter than that. Going after a whole Guild of Dark Wizards and a Demon of Zeref all alone is seriously stupid. Why would you even have-"

" _Salamander_." Hora's voice was low, and soft- though she cut him off with ease. Her blue gaze left from staring at her feet to rest on him steadily, her face betrayed nothing but exasperation. ".... Look, I know. I get it, I know its stupid, I know it's dangerous- but it doesn't matter. I'm here on order from my Guild Master, I was sent here to get a job done and I am going to do it. No matter what."

"Why the hell would your Master send you on something so dangerous all by yourself?" He growled, Hora blinked at that. "Master's ain't supposed to put their Guild Members in dangerous situations."

She sighed at that, ".... Because he's an ass." She mumbled, Natsu broke off, his anger and agitation faltering when he saw the resignation in her, and the anger that seemed to bubble somewhere underneath it. "As far as Master's go, Salamander..... He _sucks_." She shook her head slightly, "..... but it doesn't matter either way. I am going to finish this job, I can't afford to lose."

"Even if it kills you?" He hissed, she smiled sadly.

".... I don't plan on dying, Salamander." She murmured gently, ".... Dying is just as bad as losing... Trust me. I'm not going to lose, and I am not going to die."

"You _can't_ promise that." He huffed hotly, "What if you get hurt? You won't have anyone to help you, or back you up. Why is this job so important you'll risk something like that?"

".... That bit is complicated too." She could see his annoyance rise at the response.

"Why can't you just explain it?" He hissed, "Didn't you hear Lucy about talking to your friends when something is wrong?" She sweatdropped, her eyes falling slightly.

Yes...and that was another thing. What Lucy had said, it was sticking... and honestly? The more she thought about it the more she felt... bad. Guilty too.

"..... is not that I can't, Natsu." Hora murmured, ".... I remember what Lucy said, and I understand what it's meant to mean... and I want to live up to it too. But I can't with you... not with you, right now. I have to do better," She smiled slightly, "I've been friends with the same four people for near a decade, Salamander- and in all that time I have never once told them I'm a Devil Slayer. Not once." Natsu blinked in clear surprise,

"I have known you for _three days_ and I fessed up in seconds." Hora told him, shaking her head a little as she sighed. "... there is a _problem_ with that. Because it's not like I don't trust them, I trust them with my _life._   And yet in eight years I have literally told them nothing about me. Not my Magic, not what it does to me, not how I truly feel... none of it. I always thought I was their best friend, I care for them, I love them...... I let them lean on me and I helped them through everything, but I never let them help _me_... I never let them _know_ me. The _real_ me.... I've been too afraid of losing them and how they might react to ever open up. I've kept them at arms length for so freaking long.... and they deserve better than that from me."

Natsu's expression softened slightly, his anger and annoyance nearly fading into nothing as Hora tilted her head back, smiling a little ruefully up at the stars and the indigo-black.

"This whole time I thought I was being such a great friend.... but what Lucy, and what you said, it looks like I've been mucking up the 'friend' bit the entire time. It just took meeting you guys to really start to see it....." Hora mumbled softly, her eyes flashing.

Well, maybe that wasn't all true. She'd started seeing it before hand, with how they'd reacted when Jiemma hurt her- how badly they wanted to understand and to help her. How much it hurt them knowing that she was so torn up inside and never let them know... it just really started hitting home now. Now that she was out here and facing a situation where she was likely never to see them again- how shitty was it that it too being sent on a suicide mission to realize how bad she was at being their friend? That Lucy had had to snap her head off for keeping secrets? Fairy Tailers, rivals from another Guild she had known for only a few days had made her realize all the mistakes she had been making in so little time.... honestly, she really had messed everything up, for so very long.

Hora's hands folded together and landed on top of her head lightly, "..... see? I'm _talking_ to _you_ , about a whole load of things I would never have dared say out loud, or to anyone for so long..... why can't I do this with the four people who have made my life so fun? The four people I trust more than anything? I know they'd listen, I know they'd do everything they can to help me, and to understand, and I know they'd never just ditch me... I know all of that, somewhere deep in my heart and yet I've never mustered up the courage or the confidence to talk to them, to _tell_ them."

So many things, hundreds upon hundreds of things that had been left unsaid. Things she had buried and truths she had kept hidden.... Secrets that had been piling up.

"....... They told me I blow things out of proportion, not too long ago. That I'm always jumping to the worst conclusion and skipping straight over the brighter side of things..... there's a part of me that rejects the notion... and a part that figures it's true." She laughed, just once, a small, dry laugh. ".... I hate that it's taken me so long to realize how wrong I've been doing the whole 'friend' thing, I hate how little I've let them in... I want to let them in, I'm afraid to... but I need to, and I see it now. I wanna be better- be a better friend for them, and give them the chance to be the friends they want to be for me. I have to make it back, win- and make it back to them so I can try and do better- let them worry, let them know, understand.... let them in, for the first time."

Hora took in a small breath, her eyes falling from the sky and toward the silent figure of that Fire Dragon Slayer who was watching her so keenly, calmly.

"Hmm... now you have me rambling, Salamander." Hora smiled lightly, "... but hopefully I managed to explain it, at least a little. I can't tell you anything, before I manage to work myself up to telling _them_. They deserve better than what I've been giving them, and I need to make up for it." He blinked, sweatdropping slightly. "So even if I can't tell you the details, you gotta realize that there isn't a chance in hell I'm gonna die on this Mission. Not when I have so much to make up for... so much to do. So much to _change_."

Hora's head tilted slightly, her smile growing a little wider, and a little softer as her eyes glimmered slightly in the dim around them. Natsu stiffened ever so slightly, his eyes widening just a little as he felt something like familiarity hit him straight in the chest for half a second- some pang of recognition in him when she smiled like that, the way her eyes seemed to shine ever so dimly from the faint glow of the moon and stars overhead. But never why- why would she look familiar? There wasn't a _strikingly_ familiar thing about her, and yet it didn't make the thought go away.

"Can you convince yourself to trust me, Salamander? Trust me when I say I'm coming back, and I'll definitely be seeing you at the Grand Magic Games?" She asked lightly, "And maybe some day, after I've managed to make it up with Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch- that I'll give a shot at explaining everything to you too?"

How could he ever even think about letting this go? _Her_ go?

Every inch of his being told him not to let her out of his sight- to screw training for the Games and stay with her, help her. Help her to bring down North Wind and to help her against whatever Demon she seemed to intent on facing alone. There was no rational reasoning that could be said to make him even consider letting her run off on her own- the thought of it scared him, worried him to no end and he hated to imagine what might happen to her if she went along with her plan. Because she could very well die, and she would assuredly get hurt- and hell if he was the sort of person to let that happen when he could avoid it. It just wasn't in him to let anyone run off to what could get them hurt-

\- She was so genuine, and honest and calm about every inch of it. He could hear in her voice how strongly she felt about doing better, becoming a better friend- he could see how much she wanted it in her eyes and her face. She wanted to open up, to talk to those four, and he could tell just how much they meant to her. How couldn't he? He'd heard them talking the night prior, heard the love and the care in her voices and theirs as they chatted away. Those four people, they were Hora's Family just as much as Lucy and Happy were family to him. And he could see the hurt in her too, the guilt, when she realized how much she had been keeping from them for so long. And he knew she was right, she wasn't mistaking any of it- she knew what she had messed up and she knew what she needed to do in order to make things better.

But there was softness in her smile then, and utter calm- but behind it; there was a fire. Some bright, burning spark of determination, a caliber of the like he wasn't sure he had seen in anyone.. maybe ever. She wasn't going to back down, she wasn't going to give in- she was so determined that he faltered...

.... because maybe, with that much passion and need and want to change and be better- she could win, and she would survive. It was like nothing could have stopped her now she had made up her mind and made her decision to change, and be a better friend... and maybe even a better person on top of that.

Is this what it was? What he had noticed in her before and how she had seemed to change? Why her Magic hadn't felt dark for even the briefest second after she'd set herself to protecting them and keeping them safe? Somehow he was convinced that it was more than what he said, and what Lucy had said.... it had to be more to have shown him this whole new side of Hora. She had to have wanted something to change, for her to have become this out of near nowhere.

And with that smile, that gentleness and the fire and that familiarity as she looked at him- _damn it_

He couldn't even bring himself to stop her- she needed this, as stupid as it sounded and as uneasy as it made him feel, how wrong it felt in his core. He couldn't stop her.... and he wouldn't try to.

He hissed under his breath, hating himself as he settled her with a steely glare.

"You _promise_ , you're gonna come back to watch the Games?" He asked lowly, Hora smiled a bit more, she stepped away from leaning against the wall and raised a hand toward him. He blinked, before lifting his own and she grabbed his hand in hers steadily.

He hated himself, but there was nothing she appreciated more in that instant than his relent.

 _"Promise._ I'm coming back, and I expect you to make the Games something to remember, Salamander."


	14. An Icy Wind

**Chapter 1** **4**

**An Icy Wind**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and** **Ideas**

**.:+:.**

"..... Oi, Salamander."

"Hmm?"

".... Before you guys leave, I think I need to.... Warn, you." Hora mumbled, her voice low and tense as he turned round all the way to face her. Lucy and Happy were grumbling to one another as they packed up their things in the center of the room, Hora having taken up a post near the door that lead outside as Natsu stood a little ways in front of her.

Morning came faster than had seemed possible since Natsu had confronted her last night- and since he'd agreed to let her go, though she could tell he really, really did not want to. But as per her request, he'd dropped asking questions and simply kept her company until morning had come. Now with the Fairy Tailers getting ready to split ways with her, Hora found herself a little more tense- and she had to say something... One thing, at least.

"About what?" He asked, his head tilting as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"..... My Guild Master has strict rules about keeping the reputation if the Guild up, and he's forbidden that we converse or help or doing _anything_ with rival Guilds." She mumbled, "... I've been working with you guys because he's not around to say anything about it, but if he were to find out I had been hanging around you three.... I'm gonna be in a bit of trouble." Natsu narrowed his eyes at that, "... So it'd be better if you guys didn't go around spreading stories of working with me.... Please."

He nodded slightly, though he looked a little confused at the request. Why would it matter? And why would she be getting in trouble for it?

"... Alright." He murmured,

"... Thank you.... And on that note, I'm not gonna be able to hang out with you, or even really talk to you, when we meet up in Crocus for the GMG." He blinked at that too, sweatdropping. "... I'm warning you in advance. I can't be familiar with you in public, or even really at all when the time comes."

"... That seems a little extreme. Why is talking to other Guilds such a big deal?" Natsu mumbled, "I mean I know were supposed to be rivals in the Games, but that doesn't mean were actually enemies." Hora sighed,

"Like I said... My Master is an ass." Hora grumbled, he sweatdropped slightly.

Somehow he felt that maybe 'ass' wasn't quite the word she wanted to use there.

"..... Alright... I don't get it, but I hear ya." he grumbled, "... You are gonna at least let me know you're back, when the Games come around, right?" She blinked,

"Yeah, I'll let you know, Salamander. Don't worry." He nodded, his stare a bit pointed for half a secind, before his attention trailed over his shoulder towards his Guild-Mates.

".... One last thing." Natsu blinked, his head turning back toward her to see she was looking at him.... _Worriedly_.

"...... It... Won't seem like it, when the time comes.... But I know every person in SaberTooth. They are all good people at heart, despite how they act." She broke off, almost like she was choosing her words carefully, it even if she dared say them.

"...... Everyone outside of my Master, and his daughter..... They are good people.... They just.... Its hard for them to show it." Hora shook her head slightly, sweatdropping. ".... Please just remember that, when the Games come around.... There are only two truly awful people in the Guild, no matter what happens... Near everyone in SaberTooth are good people. I promise." Her hands locked together in front of her nervously, her eyes falling from him as Natsu watched quietly.

".... Master and Minerva.... Are just....." she mumbled half to herself, before sighing heavily. Her blue gaze moved back up toward him as she settled him with a serious, steady gaze.

".... Just be careful, alright?" She asked softly, her eyes flashing.

Natsu got the distinct feeling that there was more she wanted to say on the matter, but stopped herself.... and he wondered if it had something to do with the 'complicated bits' she had mentioned before and assured him she wouldn't get into with him.

".... you got it." He murmured with a small, firm nod. "You be careful too, alright?"

Hora smiled, her fist raising in front of her and toward him as he blinked at it, before smirking slightly and tapping his own fist against hers lightly.

"Promise, I'll be careful."

"All done packing." Lucy smiled cheerfully as she and Happy approached both Fire Wizards, Hora's and Natsu's hands falling away from one another as they settled their attentions on the two of them.

"We're ready to head out now." Happy purred, Hora nodded.

"Then I guess I oughtta say bye." Hora murmured, "It was great working with you three, I had a lot of fun." She smiled genuinely, Lucy and Happy nodded in agreement to the words.

"We had a lot of fun to, it was so good to meet you." Lucy murmured brightly, "I hope we see more of eachother soon, I can't wait until the GMG!"

"Aye!"

"Hmm, me too." Hora smiled kindly, the smile breaking off as Lucy suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her neck in a firm, entirely unexpected embrace.

"You'll be careful out here by yourself, won't you?" Lucy asked softly, her breath washing against the inside of Hora's neck as the Saber girl slowly returned the embrace. Her eyes found Natsu for half a second, his expression unreadable but she could imagine how much he was fighting with himself not to leave. And Lucy hadn't any clue what she would be facing either... and Natsu knew it, Hora knew it.

"..... yeah... I'll be careful. I promise, we'll meet up again at the GMG, don't you doubt it."

Damn it..... it broke her heart, watching them leave her behind. It hurt more than she expected as she waved at them, watching them head away up the street and out of Jeihel in the very opposite direction she was to take- their figures getting thinner in the distance, every stretch of mile between them leaving her tenser, colder.

* * *

 

_This key.... it's so exact, whoever made it is a serious master with enchantments.... it's almost ingenious._

_'You sound impressed. Is that admiration I hear?'_

_... yeah, yeah.... whatever... you can't tell me that this plan for getting to and from their Guild Hall isn't clever, Lixue._

Hora ran a hand through her hair, her other hand resting on her knee as she sat crosslegged atop a relatively smooth topped boulder- the key in question placed on the stone surface in front of her, along with a small notebook and a pen beside it.

The land around her was filled with trees, their bark smooth and stripped and the leaves overhead a collection of dark pine and silver willowa. It was small, tightknit forest in a land that was otherwise ruled by steep, barren stone that was quickly growing chill and icy the further north she kept going- even despite it being July. Not that the cold bothered her in the slightest... It was the silence, more than anything. The further she went out the less animals there were, less people- it was like some heavy, icy blanket had fallen on everything out there and there was little left living.

It had been a week and half since she'd left the Fairy Tailers and Jeihel behind, and it was a week where she had started to wonder aimlessly out into the countryside, stopping for sections at a time to fiddle with and expirement on the key that Natsu had found for her. She'd been experimenting with it, doing her best to unravel what Spell and enchantments had been placed on it and what they were meant to do- to anyone who wasn't a Wizard, it was simply a key, and even to those with Magic it seemed just that, unless your Magic make your senses as heightened as hers did.

And the more she studied it the more convinced she was of her first theory- that it was meant to be placed in a door (probably any door with a lock- though she had a few doubts in how big the door was allowed to be), and in doing so, the Magic of the key envelopes the entryway of that very door in a Portal of women kind, allowing easy, quick access to where it lead.

North Wind, and it's very mobile, impossible to pin down by normal means, Guild Hall.

Right where she needed to get.

Hora let out a small breath, her eyes falling closed as she rest her cheek in her hand.

As to what the Guild Hall would look like? If it was anything like the trap they had fallen into a week and a half prior, it could turn out to be an elaborate maze filled with too many sections and rooms to count... And she didn't like the idea of navigating something that large and complex whilst also fighting what hundreds of Dark Mages were sure to be holed up there. It was an even less appealing thought should the inside be tight-knit and close, as to bar easy movement at all.

But even then it had to be large, and able to hold a Demon of Zeref in its confines. The reports on the Demon were..... Useless, in all reality. The only thing that persisted between what few places had been unloading enough to be hit by it was the destruction. The way the air seemed to chill and then the wind cut through everything, a mass of icy blue eyes from a wash of wind- but that was it. There was no description, no useful information. This Demon could be as large as a Vulcan or as small as a regular dog... Or even larger than Deliora.

She had nothing to go on, no information on it, or on the Guild Master- or the inner working of the Guild Hall. No one had ever been there, and no one had ever gotten a good look at the Demon either. And information on 'Master Eider' was just as sparse.

This Mission sucked... She was gonna be walking in totally blind. How the hell was she meant to come up with a plan or even prepare if she knew nothing of where she was going and who she would be facing?

_.... If I unlock a door with the key and send in Drille, will he find anything worth bringing back? Or will I sound off alarms the minute I try?_

_'... It is likely not the best course of action to let North Wind know you have a way into their Hall in any way, before you actually manage to have some semblance of a plan.'_ Lixue intoned lightly. _'... You are unaware what safeguards come with entering the Hall, it wouldn't be worth risking discovery, before you fully commit to action.'_

_Damn it.... You're probably right..._

Hora groaned, her hands falling behind her as she supported herself leaning back, her head falling back too, to tilt her face up toward the dreary sky. The movement earned a prickle of discomfort from the wound across her back but little else, her blue eyes flashing slightly as she grumbled under her breath.

She hated the idea, but she would likely need to ask the Council to step in when she started- if only to round up the Mages she put out of commission before pushing ahead so she wouldn't need to worry about it.

She really _really_ did not look forward to any of this.

..... At any rate, however... She didn't plan to launch a full scale attack until Over-Drive was done and over with completely. And that was proving to be taking a bit of time... Damn it.

The coughing had managed to cease but the ache in her chest had failed to go away, it was a throbbing sometimes... and sometimes it felt like a sharp, jolting pang, and she hated it- becuase that always ended up happeninf when her thoughts wandered toward what it was Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue were doing.

She shifted, leaning forward a bit to pull the Calling Card from her back pocket, twisting it lightly in her fingers as she bit the inside of her cheek.

.... They hadn't called, not for a week, so she figured that maybe Minerva had come back already, keeping them from talking to her at all. It was that thought that kept her from calling them first, she'd hate to get them in trouble.... But she wanted to talk to them, she _needed_ to.

At least once, before she went to face North Wind head on.

The braid at the front of her hair shifted slightly in the cool wind that started to pick up, brushinf against her cheek as she let out a sigh- and put the Calling Card back on her pocket without calling, for maybe the hundreth time the last week.

She hadn't been sleeping all that well either, which failed to help with Over-Drive... The nightmares were just getting worse. And she knew it was because of how close it was getting to the confrontation.

She took a deep breath, her eyes falling closed as the chill air danced over her senses, bringing with it the scene of moisture and stone.... And ice.

Her eyes opened, narrowed to slits as her deep blue gaze flashed gold for half a second.

_.... It feels like a blizzard's coming...._

* * *

 

".... Sting-Kun, are you alright?" Lector asked nervously, smiling a bit as he let his paws rest on his hips. Frosch beside him smiled too, both Exceeds floating lightly at the edge of the water as they watched Rogue and Sting stumble up into the shallows, sopping wet and looking exhausted. Both Dragon Slayers collapsed in the inch deep water, dazed and panting, looking ridiculously unamused.

Behind them and to the right on the hill that overlooked the forest and the lake Yukino was standing with her Spirits close at hand, Rufus and Orga nodding toward her and giving praise- though neither Sting nor Rogue cared.

"....ugh.... I can't.... Believe.... Yukino beat us.... That... Badly...." Sting groaned in between his panting,

".... I seriously.... Misjudged.... How strong.... Pisces is...." Rogue grumbled, ".... But did they have to... Throw us in the lake....?"

"... You two have been training rather hard, maybe it's not surprising you got beat." Lector shrugged, "You've hardly taken a break in the last week."

"Fro agrees!" Frosch murmured, "Fro wonders why Sting and Rogue-kun have been working so hard all of a sudden?"

Sting blinked, sweatdropping slightly as he glanced sideways toward Rogue, who had pulled himself up to sit in the shallows with his legs crossed. The Shadow Dragon Slayer only bothered to look down at his lap,

Frosch and Lector glanced between one another, blinking in slight confusion at the silence.

The truth was it had been a week and both Dragon Slayers had been going full throttle on the training and had hardly stopped a minute of it. They'd been brawling and working on their Magic every minute they could afford out of sleeping and eating only occasionally. When Orga, Rufus and Yukino were too tired to keep at it they went at it with one another- almost until they were too tired to go on... And yet they picked up again all the same in the morning before everyone else.

"...... Is something the matter?" Lector asked slowly, his head tilting slightly.

"..... We're....." Rogue mumbled,

".... Just.... Trying to stay busy...." Sting finished stiffly, the Exceeds blinked.

".... Since...... Hora's.... Out and.... _Busy_...." Rogue hissed under his breath,

".... We.... Don't wanna call.... and distract her.... so...." Sting mumbled, the Exceeds' eyes softened slightly. They had indeed wondered why neither of their Partners has bothered to call Hora, though they had on several occasions seen one or both of them staring at the Calling Card with the utmost lounging- but never giving into it. But now it became clear that Sting and Rogue had thrown themselves into training to try and distract themselves from worrying about Horatia, and their hearts clenched at the thought.

They didn't want to 'distract her' because they knew the mission she was on was dangerous, very much so.... And knowing that made them want to call even more, but they stopped themselves.

Truth be told the Exceeds were worried to, and they understood the hesitation too.... But,

".... you should call her." Lector murmured lightly, "...... Hora would like it, I'm sure she probably _wants_ us to call." Both Dragon Slayers stiffened slightly, sweatdropping and looking uneasy.

"Fro agrees." Frosch murmured softly, "Fro misses Atia too." Lector nodded,

"So do I, you guys aren't the only ones worried." Lector intoned softly, before he smirked. "If you guys are too chicken and won't, we'll call her first~!"

Rogue and Sting bristled slightly, looking annoyed and flustered at once. "H-hey! We're not chicken!" Rogue snapped,

"Y-yeah! We'll call her, alright?!" Sting snapped at the same time, the Exceeds smiled in amusement.

"Good." Lector and Frosch said in union, both Dragon Slayers grunted under their breath, casting their Exceed Partners small glares.

"... But.... We'll do it later." Rogue added in quietly, ".... Just in case she _is_ busy.... We'll call when its later and she's probably stopped for the night."

Lector sighed, sweatdropping slightly as she simply shrugged in slight exasperation.

"Whatever you say...."

"Hey! You four!"

Their conversation was broken apart by the sound of Yukino's voice calling out to them from up the hill. The Celestial Spirit Mage waved to them, "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, did Yukino kick your asses too hard for ya to handle?" Orga called, his tone full of challenge and his lips pulled into a smirk- easy enough to see even with the water of the lake between them. Sting and Rogue growled, veins ticking on their foreheads as they jumped to their feet, whirling in Orga's direction with sudden fiery tempers.

"As if!"

"Hehe~"

"No matter, come along you four." Rufus interjected calmly before an argument could break loose. "It is time for a break and for something to eat."

"Food sounds great!" Orga smirked, "Better hurry up guys, or I'm gonna eat it all~" he shot toward Sting and Rogue, both of which scowled, and raced through the shallows in his direction.

"Don't you dare, ORGA!!!!"

"Move your asses if you wanna stop me~"

Lector and Frosch purred in amusement as they floated after their now rushing Partners.

Lector faltered slightly in his flapping though, eyes widening when a small splash of water dropped down on top of his head. He blinked, Frosch beside him looking surprised as well as the red Exceed glanced upward toward the sky, his face being hit again by another drop of moisture, and then another.

"... where did those clouds come from?" Lector wondered aloud, for the first time noticing the darkness that had engulfed the sky, and now with the rain setting in with no warning what so ever.

"Fro wonders too..." Frosch mumbled,

"Eh? Where did the rain come from?" Yukino mumbled as they drew nearer,

"Very odd.... I hadn't noticed the clouds coming in." Rufus said lightly, his hat tilting back as he glanced up toward the sky. Orga had run off already with the Twin Dragon Slayers chasing him, none of the three seemed to notice the rain at all, not even as it started to fall harder.

Yukino, Rufus, Lector and Frosch jumped slightly, their eyes lighting up as a flash of eerie white-gold tore across the sky overhead, lightning flashing just once as the thunder boomed heavily on their ears, quickly becoming soaked as the rain set in more. Frosch jumped, smashing into Yukino's arms in fright as Lector bristled, his fur fluffing up as he covered his ears with his paws.

"The weather's turned really nasty all of a sudden..!" Yukino grumbled, holding tightly to Frosch as she shook her head, "Come on you guys, let's find shelter quickly!" She headed off, Lector following closely and unaware that Rufus had failed to move, his eyes narrowed up at the sky and rain dripping off the rim of his hat as he stood in complete stillness.

"..... incredibly odd..." He breathed softly,

".... I can't remember weather so foul coming on so quickly...."

* * *

 

_Scarlet red dripped into the dismal white snow and ice underfoot, his hands shaking and body heaving as he stumbled through that ruin- his blood mixing among the crimson spilt from countless more and ash black soot and smoke. Their bodies lay in heaps of mangled skin and bone and debris on  all sides, fires burning low in what little remained of the buildings, everything toppled._

_It was swimming in front of him, the world blurring and undistinguished on the edges and getting worse as he gasped and sputtered, his steps faltering as he drudged through the sticky, icy grey and white. His hands were shaking so badly he barely kept hold over the gaping hole in his torso, skin slick with his blood and feeling like he was barely holding his insides from spilling out._

_'You're dying, you fool...!'_

_His lips twitched in a twisted, agonized smile. He laughed, but only ended up coughing and gasping, his eyes shutting tight at the pain that raced through every inch of him, his steps stumbling even more- until he tripped, and was sent sprawling into the bloodied snow._

_He groaned, his breaths tasted of blood and his mouth filled with it as he curled in on himself, his blood spilling from his wounds faster.... and he didn't try to curb it, he couldn't care anymore._

_"....h...he... he..hehe......" He wheezed, "...w....we..ll......well.......b....been.... awh....ile......" He coughed, blood spattering across the ice as his yellow eyes flashed blue._

_"... eh.... L...Lixue....?"_

_'... you utter fool..... how dare you.....?! You knew you couldn't destroy that demon... not like this..... y.... you.... IDIOT....!!!'_

_The man smiled wryly, pushing himself over stiffly, shaking violently as he did his best to push himself up onto his knees. His clothes were tattered and stained, his hair a mess and his skin torn and shredded in places too many to count. Blood dripped without end from every wound, from his mouth and from his nose and ears, smears of it running through his russet and copper hair._

_Deliora was long gone.... he was the only thing left... the only thing alive in a city full of death.. and he was quickly going to join the masses. Pity the Beast hadn't finished him off, allowed him death without having to hear that damn voice again.... pity_

_He hissed, dragging himself forward, his arms nearly buckling underneath him as he forced himself toward a mound of snow and rumble up ahead, his breaths shaky and wet as he laughed a bit more, his yellow eyes glinting wildly._

_'For your stupidity.... we are BOTH dying.... Arden you damned..... FOOL....!!!!!!!' Lixue's voice was painful, a searing, sharp icy sound through his head that made him wince. '.... raaaghh.....! How.... dare you....?! Parading about.... calling yourself..... Gelidus Inferniom..... you bastard....! You've killed not only yourself, but you have killed me too.....!!'_

_Arden growled, pushing himself up the mound as he left a smear of red and bits of gore behind him. His body was screaming, every inch of him threatening to snap and send him falling apart, his bone and skin and muscle all barely holding together and breaking fast._

_"...tch... Shut... shut up.... ya damned...... prick...." Arden wheezed,_

_He stopped, his arms giving out on him as he dragged himself up the lip of the mound, his body collapsing into the snow as it gave way underneath him and he was sent skidding and tumbling down the other side. He screamed, his body slamming into something hard at the bottom and his face burying itself in a sticky, clumped pool of dirt and blood, his breaths raged gasps and Lixue screaming with him at the sheer pain._

_Arden came to a halt, his eyes blurred and quickly losing what little light and life was in them. He groaned as he struggled to lift his head from the blood soaked ice,_

_"...t...there's....a..r....rea...son...... I shut.... yo...u..... out......." Arden wheezed, his voice barely above a whisper and his fingers numb as he fought for breath._

_'..... centuries....... and I  have...... only managed....... idiots.....' Lixue's voice was breaking, '.... perhaps.... it is a blessing...... the damage... all of you..... have managed.... end... here.... with one.... last..... stupid mistake..... you....'_

_Arden coughed again, his chin splattered in scarlet and his breath hardly a cloud in the icy wasteland around him. His eyes were dull, the yellow fading fast to some ugly, brown color-_

_He stiffened, his eyes widening weakly, looking across the blood soaked snow he lay in as his attention found what his body had smacked into so painfully. A child..... her hair black as a raven's feathers and her skin pale, her body broken and bent as she lay there, and he lay with her in a pool of her blood. Her arm was mangled, the skin torn open and the bone poking though the gnarled bits of flesh and muscle, a thin trail of the sticky liquid falling past her thin lips._

_... so many dead....._

_Arden coughed again, his chest felt like it was being torn open._

_His fingers twitched, brushing against her thin little fingers, turning black and blue from the cold, her blood smothering against his skin from the wound that had broken her, someone so small-_

_Those dull eyes flashed, the yellow burning brighter as his felt her blood.... warm._

_Arden's head lifted ever so slightly off the snow as his heart jumped, a fire burning in his eyes as he tried and failed to get back up, struggling with a vengeance to push himself closer._

_.... she's...._

_Something wild lit up in his face, something twisted and frantic as Arden forced his falling apart body to move, forced himself just that little bit closer- close enough his hand clamped down tightly on her arm, uncaring of the way his fingers dug into the flesh and grazed across the fractured bone._

_A wicked, tilted grin spread it's way across his face, his eyes flashing again as a wash of gold started up from his arm and toward her- what little life and energy left in him suddenly spurring to action, and the grin twisted more._

_.... the last... one....._

_'.... what are you.... Arden....?!' Lixue snapped, his voice faded and blurry in the man's head._

_The skin around his hand and her arm started to singe, the chill air filling with the scent of bringing flesh and blood as her arm began to blister, and the wash of gold spreading from his arm blazed brighter, bolder, turning an angry red and orange._

_"...he..hehe..... guess....... y...you.... gonna.... b...be... wrong.... heh......Lixue.....!" Arden laughed, his blood dripping from his mouth and strangling the words though he never stopped. Not even as that small, mangled little girl flinched, not when she was drawn back from the icy cold claws of death and forced back to the world engulfed in agony and burning fire in her veins. His hand was turning ebony as his skin burned, smoke rising from her skin as a fire began to leap inside of her, searing the wound closed slowly and burning flesh back together in a wash of blazing white._

_The girl whimpered, her blue eyes fluttering open and dazed, her limbs twitching and spasming as she struggled to pull away from what sheer tortuous agony was climbing up her arm and into the rest of her body. Ripped back into the world and with no clue what was happening, she didn't understand-_

_"..... y... ya got...one more.... bloody mistake.... Lixue....!" Arden smiled, his eyes wild and his expression twisted in something no less than excitement that bordered on insanity and rage. The glow of red and orange got worse, Magic pulsing from him and pouring into her, the wound was melting together and she was struggling against him- no longer weak, her skin a sickly pallor and her eyes glazed in pain and terror. The glow of orange raced over her skin, charring along the inside of her body, singing bones, organs, engulfing everything and it was torture- that little child's voice broke as sobs and screams of pain rung on the air that had been so deathly silent just before._

_She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava._

_Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding..._

_Arden never let up, he was laughing even as his life drained away and he forced that wild, insane Magic into her- forced it to burn the wound closed, forced it to mark across every inch of her body and her soul and claim her, the pain was enough to kill anyone, the Magic was too strong, too jagged and much too uncontrolled- it was burning her alive from the inside out. His copper and russet colored hair was fading into a dull, lifeless grey, his hand burned black and quickly moving up his arm as she thrashed and kicked up blood-colored snow, screamed and kicked and pleaded and cried, her voice breaking, shrieking even long after her throat filled with blood and the taste of something burning sour._

_... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go. She wanted to be let go._

_"STOP! PLEASE!" The girl's voice would have broken the heart of anyone, it was dripping in terror and fear and pain- but Arden couldn't care, he would never let go- he looked at her with the face of want, sheer lust and uncontrollable need. He watched in pleasure and delight as she started to burn, the black running up her body and strangling her- that dirty, blood matted raven hair turning orange and red and all colors it should never have been._

_"S-STOOOOOPPPPP!!!"_

_"Not... not a chance!" Arden shrilled, his body shaking violently as he dragged her closer to him, pulling her through the snow as the rest of her body started to blister and break under the fire consuming her, eating her.... killing her, and still she tried to pull away. Her mouth filled with blood and ash and fire and she felt her lungs burning away inside her chest,_

_Lixue was screaming, roaring and cursing and Arden still never stopped- he never listened._

_The man had pulled himself up, his free hand curling in toward himself as his yellow eyes flashed, sickly and wicked- and yet... hopeful. Hopeful eve as he watched that child cough up bits and pieces of her own charred insides right in front of him, black and scarlet pooling from her mouth._

_"You must... Live! It is up to you... You have to defeat...!" Arden hissed, his grin splitting over his face._

_"...he... hehehe....! Kill what killed me..... kill what failed to kill you...!!!!!"_

_"NO!"_

_Arden's free hand plunged straight into the center of his own chest, breaking past the damaged skin and shattering what ribs were in his way, a new stream of blood pouring free from the wound and his mouth- the grin never faded._

_He ripped his hand free again, bloody and black as his fist remained clenched about a smooth, icy blue stone that seemed to glitter and spark with some unnatural light. The little girl was twitching, her body falling apart and melting from the inside out and all will to fight outwardly lost- if only her mind and her heart had failed so quickly, she still felt it... felt every single second of it._

_His hand shot forward, the stone still gripped tightly as he plunged his hand through the center of her chest, ribs breaking and what charred mess of her lungs was left- they were forced apart as he stuck his entire fist inside her body, moving organs and bone and leaving a giant, nestled hole for that stone to set. Her skin, and her body, covered head to foot in pitch, jet black- a pulse of blue raced from where his hand remained lodged inside her chest, and she felt like her heart had been ripped in two._

_Her body felt like it had been drowned in lava suddenly felt like it had been ripped in half, melted back together, then cut into hundreds of pieces... and then melted again, over and over it when from blinding burning pain to mind shattering cold, it lasted years, it lasted too long and she felt her mind breaking under it all just as her body shattered with it._

_Arden ripped his hand back out from her body again, leaving the stone as his breaths shuddered to a close. His yellow eyes dulling to grey and all light gone as his hand fell limp from having been holding to her so tightly, his face falling as a ghost of smile remained etched into his face forever more._

_She was writhing around in that blood soaked snow and ice, screaming and fidgeting for hours, her body destroying itself, burning itself, and then slapping itself back together- the flames raged and then died, and then raged again and it was a fate worse than death... she wanted to die, she screamed and pleaded and wished she would- begged. And the pain still kept on,_

_Her head was throbbing, she felt like someone had struck her skull through by a blade as a a voice so loud and so icy screamed all throughout her mind,_

_'ARDEN!!!'_

* * *

 

Hora screamed, her body jolting up and the pain and terror persistent as she jolted upward, her heart beating feverishly in her chest and her mind racing. Her breathing came in jagged, panicked gasps, her hair sticking to her face and her body covered in icy cold sweat, though her skin burned hot. She couldn't think, couldn't process where she was or what was going on- adrenaline and terror were holding her captive at the nightmare and the memory so vivid it was like it had happened all over again- and yet this time her mind had melded and mixed with Arden's in a most sickening, unnatural way.

She couldn't calm down, she couldn't even think about trying to- she couldn't _breathe_. Her lungs were hitching so much her panic was getting worse at the sensation of suffocating and choking.

Her body was heaving and still she wasn't getting enough air, she was shaking violently and she looked white as a ghost- it was dark, it was silent- she was alone, unbearably, terrifying alone and she was panicking too much to handle it on her own.

Her stomach flipped, her body spasming as she struggled to lean over, one arm hugging her body and the other holding her up only barely as she retched, the sick burning in her throat and tears streaming from her eyes as her stomach summersaulted a dozen times and she continued to retch and gag even when there was nothing left for her stomach to give up.

She was shaking like a leaf and gasping even more by the time she managed to stop, pushing herself sideways and stumbled when her legs refused to work right- the rest of her body and limbs failed to listen much better as she turned her back on the puddle of lost food and the like. Her hand moved to steady herself against the small smooth faced boulder she had been sitting on earlier in the day, her for head pressing against the chilly surface of the stone and still fighting for proper air as her heart pound painfully in her ribcage and her pulse flitted unevenly. Her head was spinning and she felt ready to pass out- but fear didn't dare let her.

She stiffened, her head snapping backwards when she heard the stone crack- her she's darting this day and that as she noticed for the first time that the air was wavering... And everything outside of a circle of about twenty feet from where she was covered in snow..... But where she was was utterly lacking. The air was hot around her, only wisps of a chill wind breaking into the confines of the circle, the stone was cracked and discarded tilts of pine needles had been reduced to smoldering piles of ash. Above her head what show was falling in a blizzard was melting before it had chance to get near her,

Her Magic was so far our a hand she was warding off a fucking blizzard, and she hadn't the will nor the ability to stop... She couldn't, she wasn't using Magic consciously she was panicking so much she couldn't control herself... And the more she tried to get herself under control the more ragged her breathing got and the more her body started to shake, and then the more dizzy she got.

_S...shit... S...stop...._

She stumbled, her hands pushing against and clinging to the rock as she struggled to stand up- her knees shaking badly and threatened to give out the minute she started. She leaned against the rock near all the way, her head spinning and her senses suddenly plunging toward a sense and state of vertigo that made her gag again, but there was nothing left to throw up.

_.. p...please..... S...stop..... I..._

She staggered away from the rock, tripping and legs shaking terribly. The dizziness persisted, the world a wash of blurred indistinction and the ground underfoot bobbing up and down, tilting and twisting and throwing her stomach into knots and turns, and the panic got worse and worse. She stumbled into the blizzard, her jagged, jolting steps out into the storm wearing a line through the snow as it melted the second she stepped through it, her head and thoughts a whirl, emotions wild-

The tears had never stopped, she was sobbing, her body hurt, her heart, her soul all hurt- and she couldn't stop crying.

She hardly saw the world around her, she was fighting too hard not to fall, or pass out... She staggered through that storm without a single drop of snow managing to hit her skin. She stumbled down a hill and foward the scent of water, she had to stop.. She had to calm down... Stop melting...  Burning....

_.... I..... I have....._

She stumbled into the shallow, freezing water of a river, collapsing in the shallows and her body plunged into the chill that would have surely sent anyone's teeth chattering, and in minutes- had them numb, frostbitten, freezing to death...

Her body bounced painfully against the stones as she collapsed, her legs giving out and soaked in seconds, her breath hitching in a gasp as the water wrapped around her on all sides. She felt weak, and faint and she world was so blurry- she couldn't keep her eyes open. She trembled, her body halfway submerged in the water and her head falling back against the stones, the world fading grey and fast, her consciousness waning, she couldn't feel the water, not the cold... Everything hurt too much.

_'.... Horatia..'_

She winced, her eyes scrunching closed as she fought to shake off the dizziness, and the weakness... She felt faint,

She felt something cold fall against her face, and then another..... Soft things.

Her eyes fluttered open again, Dazed a dull as she watched small specks of snow fall from the sky gently, bits of them dotting against her face and cheeks- what blizzard she had been melting was nothing more than gentle snowfall....

.... She couldn't figure out how long she had passed out for, she felt she'd only closed her eyes for half a second, and yet there she was. Her breathing killed to something slow and just shy of nothing at all, and her pulse lowered, her heart no longer beating frantically and her Magic no longer warding off the show and melting it before it could touch her. The sky was a darker shade of grey now too, her muscles stiff,

 _'..... Are you alright...?'_ Lixue's voice was low, gentle... Gentler than it had ever been.

_... Is that even a question...?_

Hora winced, her head pounding and her body aching all over as she shaking pushed herself up from the near stagnant water, her breath billowing in front of her in a cloud and dripping from head to foot. Her body shook in protest as she forced herself up, she only managed to stand for half a second before her legs gave out and she hissed,

 _'... Easy now, Horatia.. Take it slow.'_ Lixue intoned softly, she really wished he'd quit it.

Her body didn't want to function right, her legs didn't want to hold her, and her head spun with every small movement. It took a long while for her to push herself up, and to stagger from the aater and back onto the bank before she collapsed again into a drift of snow- and this time she stayed down, her back pressed against the mound and taking in shallow, feverish breaths, this time she felt the cold, though it didn't bother her... She felt too terrible to care, even if it had. She just felt sick.... Terribly sick.

 _'..... That was too much stress on you...'_ Lixue murmured, _'.... Apologies..... Had I been able... I'd have stopped you from living Arden's memories, along with your own... I am sorry. You did not deserve to relive that again... I lost control... Just as you.....'_

Hora's mind and senses were in such a feverish daze she hardly registered what he said or how genuine the apology was, her mind felt shattered and her emotions felt that too... He was right, it was too much...

Her shaking arms moved to hug her own body, her eyes falling halfway as she looked upward to the sky but barely saw it.

She hadn't removed the entirety of it in so long... Years, and it had never been _that_ real. For the first time since she was six years old, that nightmare hit her hard enough to break her... And just like the first time, she was alone again....

...... She'd been so broken, when she woke up.... Found him, Arden... Dead and smiling still..  She was alone then, confused and trapped in a body now ruined by some evil, foul Magic she had known nothing of. She'd been confused, alone, hurt, and so afraid.... She'd dreamed of it, over and over again for two years since before the nightmares became bearable again. It had been so long since a memory had hit her hard enough to have her feeling like such utter shit.

Her mind was so spinning so much, she couldn't think straight- even when she heard a bell ring and she pulled the Calking Card up weakly, she was so dazed she didn't hear Lixue warning her not to, or even think about what a terrible state she probably looked.

In all reality she was trying so hard to keep steady hold of that card little else mattered, and her vision was blurring in and out so much she couldn't quite make out their faces on that small, dimly lit screen in all the darkness and the continually falling snow around her.

But she heard them, their voices so clearly and so easily.

"Hora!"

It was a small mercy that it was so hard around her, it kept them from seeing how soaked she was, or the dark lines that ran under her eyes, or even how bloodshot and glazed her eyes were. Though, Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch's faces fell slightly the minute the card picked up- because even in the low lighting they saw how terrible she looked, how exhausted, and their hearts dropped.

"H-hora..?"

".. Shit, Hora...?! Are you OK?!"

"You look seriously pale! What's wrong?!"

"Are you hurt?! What's going on?!"

Hora's lips twitched up at the corners, a small, strained and exhausted smile breaking across her face as she felt herself sink back into the snow a little more, flecks of white falling about her face and sticking in her hair continually as she heard the worry in their voices,

"... nothing's wrong..." She mumbled softly, her throat felt sore and hurt from screaming... she faintly wondered if the dream had had her screaming in her sleep... she was thankful she was alone now, so no one had seen it. Her assurance did nothing for them, as she knew it wouldn't... and honestly, she didn't mean it to. "... sorry, I must really look like a mess.... It's just been a rough night..... I didn't sleep very well..." She replied softly, she could see the concern and sympathy pass over each and every one of their faces.

".... did you have a nightmare, Atia..?" Lector and Frosch asked gently, Hora nodded.

"... yeah.."

".... do you wanna talk about it, Hora...?" Sting asked softly, Hora shook her head.

"No.... not really....." She breathed, her eyes falling closed a moment. The four on the other end of the card exchanged glances between one another, their eyes glittering as they saw Hora pale a little more- if it was possible, and she sounded so so.....

"..... you look really tired, Hora." Rogue murmured softly, "..... are you sure you're ok...?" He paused, his red eyes flashing as he sweatdropped. "... we can leave you alone, if you want... so you can go back to sleep."

"No," Hora answered quickly, catching them off guard at the immediate answer. Her eyes flashed as she blinked them open, shaking her head slightly as she sighed, her breath a cloud in front of her face that they blinked at. She smiled, just a little, "... no.... you guys are fine.... just chat with me a little yeah? What have you been up to, I haven't heard from you in a week." She smiled a bit more, her head tilting slightly as her eyes glittered.

It was rather clear in that instant she was looking for a distraction, not surprisingly- the four on the other side of the card face could see easily that something was wrong, something was bothering her and she looked stretched out in every which direction... it had been a very long time since they had seen Hora looking so worn out and... sick. It almost reminded Rogue of how pale and sickly she had looked after what Jiemma had done to her, and his heart clenched painfully at it.

".... ah... yeah." Sting mumbled, the lot of them pausing only a few moments before giving in to what it was she wanted. "... sorry.... but we know you're busy on a dangerous mission, Hora... we didn't want to distract you." Rogue nodded stiffly in agreement, Hora blinked.

"We told them you wouldn't mind if we called though." Lector purred softly, Frosch raising a paw beside the red tom-cat in agreement. Hora chuckled lightly,

".... of course... I love talking to you four, you're not a distraction.... hehe, you should listen to Lector and Frosch, boys." Hora hummed gently, ".... I was a little worried Minerva had come back early and that's why you hadn't called, actually..." They stiffened a little, shaking their heads quickly.

"Oh, ah, no!" Sting murmured, "We've heard nothing from her, sorry Hora.... I guess we should have thought of that..." Hora smiled in reassurance,

"It's alright, I'm glad it was nothing like that..... have you been training hard?" Hora sighed,

"They've been going at it _very_ hard." Frosch purred, Lector nodded. "Yukino too~!"

"They got their butts handed to them today by her and Pisces." Lector informed, Hora tilted her head in question.

"Oh?"

"Mhmm!"

"...she didn't beat us that bad." Sting mumbled in slight embarrassment, Rogue shook his head slightly, sweatdropping.

".... yes... she did..." The Shadow Dragon Slayer admitted lowly, Sting sighed. Hora laughed, just once, and nearly regretted it when her stomach ached at it.

"... it's good to hear Yukino's doing so well." Hora smiled, "... good of you to admit she beat you too, heh..."

".... Yeah, well... We kicked Orga's ass today." Sting grumbled, though he smirked at the thought. "Idiot tried to eat all the food."

"Sounds like him.." Hora sighed,

"It got super stormy today too." Frosch piped in, "It was thundering everywhere!" Hora blinked,

"The rain lasted forever too." Lector mumbled, looking exasperated at the thought.

Their voices were so nice on her ears, they started talking about their day, their week- all the training, all the fights, what Yukino, Orga and Rufus were up to... Everything. What tenseness that crept into them faded as they settled into conversation- and what panic and fear and ache in Hora faded the longer she listened, it took very little time at all for her small comments to fade into nothing. She settled back into the snow drift more, her hold on the card waning as the sound of their bright, cheerful voices began to pull her bossy into something nice and calm... It was near bliss.

Somehow, it seemed as of they had called right when she needed them till... It was like they knew she needed to see them, hear them... And oh, she missed them. She was so happy and tired all at once she forgot what she had intended to say the best time she talked with them- her head was in a haze and she hadn't the strength to tell them how she wanted to do better, to come back to them, to win and work hard to open up, be a better friend.

Just listening to them talk.... It was like heaven on earth and before long her body gave into exhaustion and sleep, and the nightmare didn't come back.

Lector, Frosch, Sting and Rogue ysd seen the card slipping from her fingers, seen her roll over and hokding the card a little tilted as she did her best to keep her attention on them and it. They say her eyes falling and sleep biting at her heels soon enough, and they knew instantly that she had dozed off- and that was fine. They smiled sadly among themselves, seeing her eyes drop closed and hearing her breathing deepen even through the card. She'd wanted a distraction, even if she was dead tired, and they had given into it... Until she'd fallen asleep, and she looked like she needed it. And this time it seemed peaceful, as opposed to what nightmare she had said she'd had before.

Sting and Rogue's eyes glittered,

... They were glad that Frosch and Lector had convinced them to call her, more so than they realized.... Even with her so tired and looking so pale, just seeing her, hearing her... That meant more than they could ever have guessed.

"Goodnight, Hora... Sleep well."


	15. Devil Slayer

**Chapter 1** **5**

**Devil Slayer**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

The bell chimed nearly painfully loud in the silence that seemed to engulf that icy, blood-ridden site of destruction, its tenor ringing off stone and snow and ice and water alike,

The words 'Idiots Calling' were slowly disappearing under the sticky crimson dripping down over and staining the cards face, the Call left untouched as it continued to ring, the puddle of scarlet liquid grew until the card was becoming submerged in it.

No one heard Lixue's voice calling one word, one name.

* * *

 

_ One Month Prior- _

"Achoo!"

Hora winced, her eyes shut tight and hand held under her nose as she groaned, sniffing slightly as her eyes watered.

She stifled another sneeze only barely, her eyes narrowed to slits as she sniffed again.

".. What the hell....?" She grumbled,

 _'.... Do you have a cold, Horatia?'_ Lixue asked flatly,

"... I don't get colds." She muttered hotly,

 _'.... Who knows? You certainly spent the night in a freezing river, and a snow mound while soaking wet... And it was still snowing.'_ He replied flatly,

"... I haven't had a 'cold' since I was six." She grumbled, her movement through the snow and over the landscaping unhindered even as she held a hand to her mouth and nose. "..... My Magic doesn't leave room for colds, you know..."

But somehow she didn't sound convinced of herself, becuase though she physically didn't feel cold or anything... Maybe enough of it affected her like it would anyone else.... Besides, she'd been pretty emotionally and physically strained when she fell asleep. She still didn't feel 100% even now, she felt groggy and dizziness lingered even as she trudged her way through that icy white wilderness and further, not quite sure where she was going or why... She was just walking, it felt good to just move.

But the sneezing started up and she hated it already.

She honestly hadn't had anything remotely like a cold before Arden forced this Magic on top of her, thinking back...

_...... The last time I got a cold, it was bad.... I had a fever and everything..... And Brother was worried, more so than I had ever seen him._

Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of it, the memory of him shuffling nervously in her room, unsure what to do and unsure if he should leave her alone or stay. He looked frustrated, like he wanted to do something to her rid of how awful she felt and yet he couldn't, and that just frustrated him more, and worried him too. It didn't make him feel better when their parents had said they could only wait it out. She remembered little of it, a lot of it was lost in a feverish haze... But she did remember waking up, with him asleep next to the bed, his head in his arms on top of it and fingers lightly wrapped about hers.

Hora's eyes narrowed, biting back at the ache in her heart and blinking furiously at the sting of tears coming up.

_..... I miss you... All of you..._

She took in a deep breath, shaking her head at herself in near agitation and pushing forward a bit faster. She was damp, and covered in flecks of snow ice and other things... She needed a village, town, some place. She needed to change, clean up, she felt dirty and gross and a night out in the snow hadn't helped.

She looked out across the snow ridden expanse of sheer nothing and sweatdropped,

_..... Question is, is there even any place habitable out here...?_

She sighed, before breaking off to sneeze again, loudly.

Hora groaned, huffing in agitation as she sniffed, she could feel her nose running a little.

".... Damn me...."

She'd been walking for most of the day, sneezing every five minutes and becoming increasingly infuriated with it. It was well into the evening and what little sun broke through the clouds overhead told her the sun was setting and she was exhausted again from walking all day... And still not a single town or village came into sight.

She supposed she wasn't all that surprised.....

Hora halted, her steps coming to a close as her head tilted slightly to the right, taking in a breath on instinct- only to grumble when she couldn't smell anything with how stuffed her nose was. She cursed herself and her apparent cold under her breath, before turning her attention not on her nose- but her ears.

She could hear water, some small tricking sound and splashing gently on what she would guess was fairly stagnant water. Her feet turned in the direction of the sound as she made her way into a small copse of willows and pines that started up toward a small mountain,

She smirked slightly, pushing through past the trunks of the trees as a clearing opened up to reveal a few, still pools of slightly steaming water tricking down the stony hillside and the mountain.

"Ah... Perfect." She hummed, stepping forward toward them and tilting her head this way and that for any new sounds that could spell danger or whatever... But it was all silent out here, still.

"This'll do just as well as a town." She murmured to herself,

_'Outside of food, you mean.'_

".... Don't remind me, Lixue." She grumbled, though honestly her stomach was still in knots, food wasn't a pleasant thought.

She made her way up to the edge of the pool and pulled her bag off, dropping the key and the Calling Card inside of it before pulling out what spare clothes she had- and then slowly pulling the still damp and mud covered ones off.

The Markings appeared across her shoulder and stretched down her upper arm a bit as she stepped into the water- a soft hiss sounding on the air as steam began to filter from the surface in a thick cloud, warming the temperature a few dozen degrees more as she waded in. She settled down on a smooth boulder sunken under the surface, twisting around slightly to do her best to get a look at the wound running across her back from the North Wind Lieutenant. She couldn't see it outside of the hazy reflection bouncing back from the water's surface, but what she could make out from that was a thin, slightly red line that seemed mostly closed now... It hurt less, anyway.

Hora let out a weary sigh and let herself sink into the water until it reached just under her nose. She didn't feel as tired as she should have, given the interruption of the nightmare last night.... But sleeping out in the snow despite the cold, had been restful.... And she knew it was because she had fallen asleep listening to Lector, Frosch, Sting and Rogue talking. Just hearing them made her feel better, seeing them too.

"Achoo!"

She sneezed again, growling in agitation as she dunked her head under the steaming water.

_Fuck this! I hate it!_

She pulled up to the surface after a few moments, hoping the sneezing would shut up now that she was in the water itself and warmer.... Well, her surroundings were warmer, it made little difference to her.

Hora ran her fingers absentmindedly along the scar running up her wrist and toward her shoulder, her eyes closed and sitting in silence for a long, long while. She could still feel the flesh burning back together, and she shuddered slightly at it.

Lixue hadn't been helpful, when she suddenly woke up with this Magic in a city and town filled with nothing but death. He'd been.... Pissed, for lack of a better word, and she'd never really understood why.

Until now, anyway... That nightmare was a slapped together compilation of her own memory of the day, and Lixue's... Or more accurately, Lixue when he was within Arden.

And from what she was hearing... Lixue was pissed, he hated Arden for going after Deliora, and he hated him for forcing him into her. He'd been seething from the minute she and he had been bonded together, seething and full of rage toward Arden and all the shit he'd done.

And he didn't trust her, he didn't like her because he was afraid she'd end up just like Arden and turn evil like he did. And like so many others before him had.

Lixue had told her what her Magic was, why he was there and why she couldn't live without him. He told her what she could do, explained to her the basics, but he had never been anything but cold and distant. And for a long while she had really hated him, she still wasn't sure she particularly liked him- but now she understood better why he had acted as he always had.

Lixue had been so damned _angry_ when Arden had transferred this Magic onto her, and Hora couldn't remember any time she had felt him angry- he was always so neutral, annoyed at times perhaps, but never angry... Never enraged. That wild nightmare and frenzied clashing of memory had shown her a Lixue that haf been damn near murderous in his emotion and thought, how he'd screamed and roared- demanding Arden just _stop_.

It didn't make up for the fact he'd let her think she was destined to destroy and kill... It didn't make up for the fact he'd only told her, and promised her that this Magic could and was mean for good- just recently. She'd been so afraid and hated herself for so long the assurances now did little... They helped, maybe, but it didn't make all the years of fear and guilt and worry just go away. It didn't reverse what happened, and it sure as hell didn't change the fact that she had been so young and scared and all alone for so long.

But she did appreciate being told, and she knew she had to do better- be better than Arden, do what he couldn't... Make this Magic and her life mean something good and not something bad.

Protect humans, and Slay the Demons and Devils that pray upon them.

...... And this Magic?

Hora bit the inside of her cheek, sweatdropping slightly.

It was so hard to control, it corrupted, put things in her head, made her want to kill..... It was a fate worse than death to have had this Magic thrust upon her. No one deserved to struggle under it, nor go through what she had when it transferred over to her.

.... This Magic had to end with her, she had to take it to her grave... Even of that meant taking Lixue with her.

She wondered if he knew of her plan, as it was- she had never been entirely sure just how much of her thoughts he was privy to, and the idea of how he would react had her a little nervous. But seeing how he had reacted to Arden passing the Magic on to her, she thought maybe he wouldn't be opposed to the plan..... Maybe.

She sneezed again, her eyes watering at how it stung and she groaned in exasperation.

".... Damn it.... A _cold_....? Are you fucking kidding me......? Agh....."

 _'You're finally admitting you have one?'_ Lixue asked lightly,

"Shut up." She grumbled back hotly,

She was in the water for a long while longer, heating it up again as it cooled off and simply enjoying the stillness of it, and how peaceful it seemed around here. Her body relaxed more and more as she simply sat there, her eyes falling closed and her mind fading into silence as she stopped herself from thinking about anything in particular- she needed a little bit of just white sheer nothing in her head.

It was already dark by the time she moved out of the water and pulled clothes on- abandoning the ones she had been wearing previously for a tight-fit, dark long sleeve shirt that attached to her hands around her thumb and middle finger, with a collar, and long pants and her boots. She took a seat down on a boulder and pulled her bag into her lap as she started to comb her fingers through her hair, undoing the braid near the front of pulling the beads that held it together out. Once she's combed through it she braided it again, neater now and less messy- before curling that strand back into a small, choppy ponytail at the back of her head instead of letting her hair and it lay loose like normal.

_Bling.._

Her heart jumped, her eyes flashing in the dim as she immediately went to pull the Calling Card from her bag- 'Idiots Calling' inscribed upon the surface that shone dimly in the night around her.

She hesitated.

_I have to tell them.... I have to. Everything._

Her hand moved to tap the card face and answer it, but she drew up short _again_ , her eyes narrowing as it continued to ring softly.

But when it came to it? She hesitated damn it, she felt fear and uneasiness swirl in her core so brightly and she had to swallow against how sick it made her feel...,

She put the card back in her bag, sitting stiffly as she waited for the chiming to end and leave the call unanswered. Leaving it, telling herself one more day... One more day and she'd call them and she'd tell them.

_Promise...,_

Hora bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood, her finger tapping the card face almost aggressively as she cursed herself in her head.

_Tell them, you have to, Hora you bloody coward..!_

"Hora!" Their small smiles and cheerful voices on the other end made her stop biting down on her cheek, her eyes glittering as she offered a small smile back.

"Hey you guys." She murmured lightly, ".... how are you?"

"Fine!" The Exceeds grinned,

"We are alright," Rogue murmured with a small nod in her direction.

"Yeah, can't complain. Yukino made food today, and it was so good..!" Sting smiled, looking lost in the memory of it for half a second before he smiled gently Hora's way. "... How about you Hora? Did you sleep OK?"

She could see them watching her, their eyes passing over what little of her they could see through the screen and intent on seeing how awful she might have looked, how worn and how pale- as she had the night prior. But they didn't find it, she looked better, much better- she almost looked completely fine, if not for the subtle tenseness and even somberness they could see in her expression even as she smiled.

"Are you feeling better?" Rogue asked softly, Hora nodded.

"Yeah, I'm feeling alright... Sleep did me good, and a bath too, hehe.." She replied, they seemed a little relieved at the answer.

"Good." They mumbled in union, Hora sweatdropped.

_..... Come on..._

".... I actually.... I meant to talk to you guys about some things.... But with how tired I was last night, I didn't get the chance....." Hora started slowly, her free hand not holding the card curled uneasily around her stomach, hating how it knotted, even before she said anything really weighty. She took in a small, low breath, her eyes closing against it and missing the looks of concern and surprise that passed over their faces in the next second.

 _'..... Take it slow.'_ Lixue murmured softly, almost tenderly.... Damn it, even he knew how quickly she was getting worked up.

"..... It's important.... I just..... I don't really know where to start..."

_You talked to Natsu so easily.... You can talk to them... You know you can...._

Her motivational words in her own head were less motivational than she liked, or needed.

"...... I've.... I've figured a few things out lately.... And thought about them too, with what happened... With how I've been treating you guys all these years... And what friends are supposed to be to one another...... Things I _knew_ , but I never really realized I was doing wrong..... And didn't understand why it was wrong until now...."

_Until Fairy Tail... Natsu and Lucy... Strangers and yet..._

"..... I've been an awful friend, the whole time.."

"Hora...!" Frosch mewed,

"That's not true!" Rogue told her quickly,

"You're the best friend any of us have ever had!" Lector and Sting said in unison.

She smiled slightly, shaking her head at them. "... Thank you... But it's true... I've been doing the whole 'friend' thing really, really wrong ever since I met you four." she settled then with a form stare that kept them from arguing it further, she could tell they were about to and they grimaced slightly. "... Let me explain, alright?"

They glanced between each other warily, before nodding at her softly. Hora took another low, deep breath to try and settle her slightly elevated heart rate.

".... I've been keeping so many things from all of you for so long, a lot of things I should have told you a long time ago.... Things you probably deserve to know about me, with how long we have known eachother." Hora said softly, her eyes flashing.

".... I've been hiding things because I was afraid of how you would look at me when you knew, or how you'd worry, or how things would change... I was afraid that if you saw how messed up and wrong I am that I would lose you. You four are the best things about my life, and I couldn't imagine not having you..... I never wanted to hurt you, or scare you off and I sure as hell didn't want you to fuss or worry about me."

They blinked and she bit the inside of her cheek, they stayed quiet though, like she asked.

* * *

 

_She smiled nervously, "... I'm... sorry," Hora mumbled, her voice dropping as Lucy blinked in slight surprise at the words. ".... really... I didn't want to worry you guys if I didn't have to... guess I mucked up on that anyway... so really... I'm sorry to worry you like this..." Her hand moved to rub the back of her neck a little self-consciously. ".... to be honest.... I didn't know you would be as worried as you are...."_

_"Of course I am!" Lucy snapped, catching Hora entirely off guard, and making her flinch backward at the sudden harshness in the blonde. "You're my friend! Of course I'm worried if you're feeling sick or getting hurt!"_

_"... friend...?" Hora breathed, the word appearing not on part of that damned voice, but in the blonde._

_"Friends tell eachother when something's wrong, got it?!" Lucy hissed, looking agitated now. "Friend's keep an eye on eachother and always work to make sure the other is alright. Friends talk to eachother when something's bothering them, or isn't right, and friends always stick together- no matter what! And they don't keep secrets from eachother when those secrets can end up hurting you or someone else!" Lucy's brown gaze flashed, her expression pulling into something so steady and so serious. "Even if you're afraid of worrying someone else! Friends are supposed to worry about eachother, that keeps them alive! And if you let other people know how you're feeling that gives them a chance to help you! Friends are supposed to help eachother, no matter what, Hora!"_

* * *

 

"... I..... I thought being your friend meant making sure I never worried you, or made you deal with me... I've kept it all to myself for so long, its gotten near impossible to admit anything at all....." Her hand curled tighter around her stomach when it knotted painfully, "..... I don't know how to let people in, or lean on them and I thought it was better than way.... And for it I've never given you guys the chance to be there for me like you want to... I'm sorry. You deserve better than that.... And I realize it now."

* * *

 

_"..... is not that I can't, Natsu." Hora murmured, ".... I remember what Lucy said, and I understand what it's meant to mean... and I want to live up to it too. But I can't with you... not with you, right now. I have to do better," She smiled slightly, "I've been friends with the same four people for near a decade, Salamander- and in all that time I have never once told them I'm a Devil Slayer. Not once." Natsu blinked in clear surprise,_

_"I have known you for three days and I fessed up in seconds." Hora told him, shaking her head a little as she sighed. "... there is a problem with that. Because it's not like I don't trust them, I trust them with my life.  And yet in eight years I have literally told them nothing about me. Not my Magic, not what it does to me, not how I truly feel... none of it. I always thought I was their best friend, I care for them, I love them...... I let them lean on me and I helped them through everything, but I never let them help me... I never let them know me. The real me.... I've been too afraid of losing them and how they might react to ever open up. I've kept them at arms length for so freaking long.... and they deserve better than that from me."_

_Natsu's expression softened slightly, his anger and annoyance nearly fading into nothing as Hora tilted her head back, smiling a little ruefully up at the stars and the indigo-black._

_"This whole time I thought I was being such a great friend.... but what Lucy, and what you said, it looks like I've been mucking up the 'friend' bit the entire time. It just took meeting you guys to really start to see it....." Hora mumbled softly, her eyes flashing._

* * *

 

Hora let out a slightly shuddering breath as she cursed herself in her head for the way her chest tightened, the way her heart pound and her words felt like they started to shake.

But she felt the fire burning brighter in her heart and she took in a breath, her blue eyes glittering and steel-like as she settled them with a steady, unwavering stare.

She had to keep talking, if she stopped now she wasn't sure she could pick back up- she had to just push forward. And for it her voice rose a little, and a little steadier too.

"Now listen up and listen well!" She said firmly, earning slightly stunned looks at the change tone and sudden.... Conviction.

"I am going to do better. I'm gonna _be_ better, be a better friend and I am going to stop hiding things from you. I am going to do my best to open up, and explain everything. It's going to take some time to get used to it all the way, but I _will be better."_ Hora said firmly, her voice clear and strong. She was so wrapped up in her words and just getting them out she did not notice how her stomach had knotted tighter.

"And I _will_ see you again at Grand Magic Games. I _will_ be there to watch you go head to head with Fairy Tail and Lamia and I _will_ be there to cheer you all on. I'm going to be there, to see you, laugh with you, brawl and work with you- I am going to let you in, let you know _who_ I really am and help you understand _what_ I have been hiding for so long and _why_. I'm gonna come back, I'm going to win out here against North Wind and everything it has to throw at me- _I am coming back."_

* * *

 

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom. She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin.

She was suffocating

* * *

 

_ One Month Prior- _

Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue just watched, utterly still and all their eyes fixed on Hora and that fire burning in her eyes on the other end of the Calling Card. The steadiness in her voice and in her soul so suddenly, the sheer drive.

It was.... It was _new_. Something in Hora had changed, in her was some burning passion they hadn't ever seen before and they were awed.

She had looked so pale and frail the night before and now they saw absolutely none of it. No amount of weakness and no amount of pain or fear- not a single shred. That girl that had boarded the train on a suicide mission, left them behind days after being nearly killed, so broken and afraid and so closed off- that Hora they had parted with and hardly recognized was _gone_.

They had never seen her so steadfast, nor more willing- _genuine_

"I will come back. I am going to _win_ , Jiemma might have sent me out here on my own on a dangerous mission- but he sent _me_." Hora's eyes flashed as her free hand clenched into a fist, a small, nearly deadly smirk appearing on her face.

"The Council wants North Wind gone and their Demon of Zeref slain." Hora growled, she saw the fear and shock appear on their faces at the news- it was the first they had heard of any _demon_.

"And they've sent Fiore's only Devil Slayer to do it- Neveleous doesn't stand a chance against me."

Their eyes went wide, sweatdropping all four of them as they stared.

_D... Devil Slayer...?!_

* * *

 

_'....h..... Hor.....atia.....!'_

She couldn't hear Lixue anymore, not his voice... Not how terrified he sounded.

* * *

 

_ One Month Prior- _

"...h-Hor...a...?!"

"Did you.... You said _Devil Slayer_....?!"

"... Y...you use _Slayer_ Magic....?!"

"Since when...?! How the _hell_ didn't we know...?!"

"Devil Slaying Magic is a real thing....?! Like Dragon Slaying....?!"

"That's the first thing I'm fessing up on.... I've never told you what my Magic is exactly, because I hate it..... But there you go."

"H...ha...?"

"... Y... You're not... Kidding....?"

"I'm the Fire Devil Slayer. And I'm out here to slay a Demon."

They couldn't say anything, they just stared- eyes wide and reeling. Hora let out a small breath- only to end up sneezing, loudly.

"Achoo!"

She sniffed, her expression pulling into a scowl.

"Damn this cold!" She snapped,

"...HEH?!"

"SINCE WHEN DO _YOU_ GET COLDS, HORA?!"

* * *

 

Her body wouldn't move anymore. She willed her hand to move toward the Card, but it didn't work.

Everything was just numb..... Empty.

* * *

 

_ One week prior- _

"... Hora.... I...... Well...." Rogue mumbled uncertainly from the other end of the card. She could see the same uncertainty and stunned looks on their faces- very similar to the ones they had worn when she had told them what her Magic really was.

They'd been stunned, and confused and a little miffed- that she had never said anything. But most of all... They didn't even know. It was just a shock, really- Slayer Magic was rare in its own and close to their hearts seeing as they were Slayers themselves, but _Devil_ Slaying?

That was something unheard of to them, they couldn't imagine Devil Slayers at all- and yet it turned out they had known and worked with one for near a decade without realizing it.

And today she had explained more of what she found- about North Wind and the Key and what she planned. She told them about Eider and she told them about The Demon of Zeref- and though every word made them more worried, she didn't lie. She was done with that, they deserved to know what was going on- and now they did. Her explanation came packed with assurance and promise she would be fine and she would be winning, mind you- but she could see how scared and concerned they were regardless.

It was a small mercy they were on the other end of the continent, otherwise she was fairly sure they'd have said screw it to training and come all the way out here instead. And she couldn't have that- this was her job and she had to do it, alone.

They'd been calling more often the last few weeks, though it was wearing down on the end of their last month of training and they needed to dive into it- they still called as often as they could. Feverishly almost, always checking her the minute her image came up on the card face, always looking to see if there were wounds or signs of something going on- and then they would ask.

Hora had been updating them on where she was and what she was doing or had been doing for the day. Which consisted of battle planning now, preparations for when she would launch her assault on North Wind and face the thing that had her nightmares growing worse by the day. It was two months and a week now, from when she left Saber on this job, and she felt the pressure on- her body was growing tense, her Magic flaring in reaction to the anticipation- her Magic knew it was close, close to the day she would find herself before that Beast, and be fighting to slay it once and for all. It lusted for it, relentlessly- and she had to hold it back.

"..... I still hate this." Rogue admitted quietly, "... Your plan sounds fine... And I know you're strong, and a Devil Slayer facing what your Magic is meant for...... but an entire Guild and a Demon of Zeref on your own is too much."

"... We're worried, Atia." Frosch and Lector mewed softly,

"You don't even know what you're walking into. You have no idea what the layout of the North Wind Guild is, or even what the Demon can do." Sting grumbled, ".... There's so much you're gonna be walking into blind..."

".... I can't believe Master would send you all alone..." Rogue growled, though the edge in his voice made Hora blink. "Devil Slayer or not, you shouldn't be on this mission alone.. It's _insane_."

".... I know you're all concerned." Hora replied softly, "... And I get that assuring you I'm going to be alright means very little. None of this is ideal, and you're right... Its a little insane."

They sweatdropped at that.

".... But I've never had this much control over my Magoc before. For the first time I'm not afraid of using it, and that just makes me stronger." Hora murmured, "I can use my Devil Slayer Magic at full capacity for the first time, and it will be more than enough to handle one Demon of Zeref, regardless of everything else."

She had to refrain from saying _all_ of her Magic was at full capacity, that would be a lie... She heard Lixue growl at the thought. 

"I promised you I was going to come back." She added softly, "And I intend to keep it, you know."

They stiffened, their eyes glittering slightly.

Their worry was she might never come back- and if she did, in what shape? In their minds flashed the image of her being beaten half to death and bloody and broken after Jiemma had thrown her around the Guild like a toy, and their hearts dropped to their feet.

And what if the only thing of her that came back, came in the hands of the Magic Council? In nothing but a box with a lid?

Rogue's eyes snapped shut as he imagined it, his fangs grinding down on one another as he hissed under his breath.

He was so agitated and worked up that having Hora assure them over and over was wearing on his nerves more and more. From the way Sting's shoulders had gone rigid beside him he imagined that the White Dragon Slayer probably felt the same way,

".... You're coming back in one piece, right?" Sting growled, his tone flinty and harsher than was needed. Hora stiffened slightly, her eyes flashing in surprise at the harsh question.

"You're not gonna come back worse than before? You're not coming back seriously injured?" Rogue asked next, Hora let out a breath as he moved her attention between their stony gazes for a few moments.

"You're gonna do what you can to stay as safe as possible, yeah?" They asked lowly,

"... Yeah, I'm coming back in one piece. Kinda have to be, to properly cheer you on at the Games."

* * *

 

The card-face went black, the chiming of the bell cutting off to sheer silence, drowning now in the sticky scarlet pool of blood.

Nothing stirred, no noise, no sound... Everything was deathly still.

_Can a Devil Slayer be slain by a Demon twice....?_

_I.... I was supposed... To go back....._


	16. North Wind

****

**Chapter 1** **6**

**North Wind**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

_The bell chimed nearly painfully loud in the silence that seemed to engulf that icy, blood-ridden site of destruction, its tenor ringing off stone and snow and ice and water alike,_

_The words 'Idiots Calling' were slowly disappearing under the sticky crimson dripping down over and staining the cards face, the Call left untouched as it continued to ring, the puddle of scarlet liquid grew until the card was becoming submerged in it._

_No one heard Lixue's voice calling one word, one name._

_She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom. She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin._

_She was suffocating_

_'...h... Hor...atia...!'_

_She couldn't hear Lixue anymore, not his voice... Not how terrified he sounded._

_Her body wouldn't move anymore. She willed her hand to move toward the Card, but it didn't work._

_Everything was just numb... Empty._

_The card-face went black, the chiming of the bell cutting off to sheer silence, drowning now in the sticky scarlet pool of blood._

_Nothing stirred, no noise, no sound... Everything was deathly still._

_Can a Devil Slayer be slain by a Demon twice...?_

_I... I was supposed... To go back..._

* * *

 

_Four Hours Prior-_

Hora's blue eyes glittered as she stood still, her hands on her hips and her gaze locked silently to the large, cracked stone door in front of her. Moss and vines snaked their way up the cracks and fissures in the aged stone, the hinges iron and rusted though they held- the cliff-face carved and molded into what lay as ruin of some ancient, abandoned temple... or fortress maybe, she hadn't any real clue.

It was a door, a big door and located in the middle of nowhere- so anything that came through wouldn't harm any towns or innocent people. Large and surrounded now by trucks and Magic-mobiles, tents and barricades filled and manned with dozens if not a few hundred Magic Council Knights and soldiers. She could hear them, boots stomping across the stony ground and robes fluttering- weapons and halberds hitting the ground and orders being barked out every which way.

This was going to be it, the place where she'd open the door and let loose North Wind- launch an assault on the Guild with the backing of the Magic Council.... or at least,  with them cleaning up behind her, making sure no one escaped this way, arrested the ones she dealt with as she pushed further in. She was more focused on the Guild Master and the Demon to really worry about getting every single person inside, that's what the Knights were for. She was going to have her hands full enough...

Her eyes fell closed a moment, taking in a long, low breath. The fire in her core was raging, her Magic prickling just under her skin and screaming- it wanted her to move, to start forward, rush in and start burning everything in her path to a nice, ebony-hued crisp. That ebony had already spread across both arms and her back, she could feel the heat coupled icy- she could feel it growing further across her body, slowly as she tried to hold it back.

Today was the day.

"Ah... Miss?"

Hora blinked, her eyes trailing sideways as she turned slightly- her attention landing on a young man in soldiers' clothing, fidgeting slightly from what she guessed was nervousness. His green eyes darted from her to the door to the ground and around again without end, his hands hooked behind his back.

"What?" Hora murmured, her eyebrow quirking as his eyes flicked away from her nervously for the tenth time in ten seconds.

".... Knight-Captain Lahar would like to speak with you." He murmured softly, his hand gesturing back toward the throngs of tents and barricades. ".... Ah, if you would please... Follow me..." he added quietly, Hora let out a low sigh.

"... Fine." she mumbled, she blinked when he failed to start moving.

_This dude.... He's like a kid, how is he a soldier? He can't be older than me...._

"Go on, lead the way." She told him lightly, he jumped slightly before starting to shuffle away. Hora followed him closely, weaving in between the other people and around the tents as the younger boy lead her through the makeshift maze. She could feel the eyes of the other Council-Members watching her warily as she passed them by, all of them curious and keen- after all, she was Saber and she was the only one who had been sent. If that said anything about her Power, she wasn't sure what else would.... As it was they would never understand how much a bastard Jiemma was, so they could only assume she was sent alone because she had the power to handle this on her own.

She faintly wondered how she appeared to them... She couldn't imagine she looked like much at first glance. A young woman with choppy hair and who was no taller than the younger boy leading her now? She didn't have a daunting presence and she knew it... Or at least, not unless she was really, really pissed.

"Ah... Here, we are...." The young soldier stammered, drawing to a halt outside a tent and drawing the curtain back. His eyes never met her as he waved her in, and she slipped past him inside to come face to face with a large table filled with documents and books, to which two men in Knights Robes stood on the other side.

"The Sabertooth Wizard is here, Captain...." The young soldier called inside the tent, calling attention in his and Hora's direction as both men glanced up, their previous conversation halting. The one with the glasses cleared his throat, pushing his glasses up his nose and nodding.

"Thank you, Ira. You can return to your post now." He said with a nod to the young soldier- Ira, apparently.

Ira nodded and the flap of the tent fell as he moved away, leaving quickly as Hora glanced from the place he had disappeared, back toward the other two men.

"Ah, thank you for coming to see me. I wanted to discuss a few plans, if we could, Miss...?" The man murmured,

"Horatia is fine." Hora replied lightly, he blinked, but nodded none the less.

"Alright, and I am Lahar." He replied, dipping his head to her before gesturing toward his companion. "And this is Doranbolt." The second man nodded her way but said nothing.

"..... I suppose you were looking to talk about my plan?" Hora asked slowly, deciding it better to skip straight to the point than to dawdle on pleasantries. She was getting agitated, her Magic surging just under her skin was making her feel a bit short- she wanted, _needed_ , to get moving and she wasn't looking forward to chatting back and forth with anyone.

"Yes." Lahar replied lowly, "... I know you've requested the Council's backing to arrest North Wind Wizards as they are incapacitated, but I was wondering what you intend to have us do in facing the North Wind Members once we open the door." Hora blinked as Lahar sighed slightly, "... From reading over the request you sent into the Council, it almost seems as if you only asked us here to pick up after your actions... and not have us engage the enemy at all, unless absolutely necessary."

"That's exactly the plan." Hora murmured flatly, both men stiffened, eyes flashing as their jaws fell in shock.

"You can't be serious." 'DoranBolt' said quickly, taking a step forward as Hora settled him with a level stare.

"I'm very serious." She replied flatly, "The Magic Council has been aware of North Wind for months, and yet there's been little any of you have done about them. In the past few weeks I have been chasing them- they had burned and destroyed dozens of towns, and turned who the hell knows how many people into slaves, or simply killed them." Her eyes flashed as her tone dropped a little, "North Wind has kept the Council scared, give me whatever excuse you want about 'national unrest' that would be sparked if you were to take military action so close the the borders of the other countries, I don't care. With how little the Council has done thus far, I don't expect much- so, the best way to deal with this is to follow me and do what I say. I'm the only one you have who's taken any serious action against these bastards thus far, so I'll lead the way and take out everyone I can. You will follow behind me, arrest the ones I deal with and detain the ones I miss or don't have time to get to- but you _will_ stay behind me, and do as I say."

They looked unhappy at that, DoranBolt especially- but Hora did not pause, she felt her anger and agitation bubbling fast- and ignored Lixue as he told her to stay level-headed.

"Once I open that gate there is no telling what alarms might go off, and there's no telling how many might manage an escape. I plan to send out a few Firebirds to try and cut off any other means of escape that I can, and focus my attention in burning through whatever droves of them there surely are inside." She sighed slightly, "My Magic can take out hundreds of people at once, and cover a large area- but while I am doing so, I have to keep focused enough to not seriously injure anyone. That's already hard enough, without having Rune Knights and Soldiers all mixed in among the North Wind Members- so you have to stay out of my way, no matter what. Lest I end up burning some of _you_ as well as the North Wind Mages I am aiming for."

They stiffened a little, their eyes narrowing and looking as if they were trying to determine if she said the words as a threat or not.

"I need all of you to stay out of my way. I was assigned this Mission on behalf of the Magic Council, so like it or not- I am calling the shots. I'm the one that's in charge of dealing with North Wind." Hora growled, they both sweatdropped a little.

"... how the hell do you expect us to hang back and leave it all to you?" Doranbolt growled, "SaberTooth or not, you're only one Wizard. There is an entire Guild in there!"

"Not only a Guild of skilled Wizards, but also a Demon of Zeref." Lahar pointed out lowly, "You cannot expect us to trust you can lead the charge against such odds all on your own."

"That is exactly what you're going to have to _trust._ " Hora muttered firmly, "I can handle North Wind's lackey's just fine. It's the Guild Master that'll prove a challenge, but I'll handle him too. You can focus on the small-time idiots I don't get to, when I'm taking care of him. My plan is to push forward and tear a line through their forces. There will be people I miss, once I leave them behind they are your problem."

"Eider has control of a _Demon of Zeref_." Lahar repeated, Hora's eyes flashed. "I really doubt rushing ahead with sheer force will be enough to contend with that. What are you planning on that end? We are certainly not equipped to handle anything of the Magnitude- if we could not contend with it, what do _you_ hope to do?"

Hora huffed, her eyes falling shut as she took a moment to keep herself from snapping back some quick reply- she took a small, low breath.

"..... the Guild Master of SaberTooth did not send me on this mission on a whim." She growled, "He could have picked a team, or anyone else... but he sent me, and he sent me for a reason." They blinked at that,

"..... do as I ask, it will work out better this way. Minimize wounds and injuries, keep me from accidentally injuring any of you. The less I have to worry about where you and your soldiers are, the more I can focus on fighting- and staying alive." They stiffened a little. "I realize my plan sounds insane, but there really isn't any better way to go about doing this. We don't have a layout of the Guild Hall's interior, or any idea how many people will be there. There's no way to plan for this other than to be ready for a fight. I want to risk as little people as I can, which includes you and your soldiers."

They blinked, looking a little taken aback at what... was that softness, that entered her voice just then?

"It isn't my intention to lose, or die, today." She murmured, "I'm going to give this battle everything I have, and it'll help me to know you are backing me up- even if it doesn't feel like you are doing much. You rounding up Mages and arresting them saves me the trouble, and I'll likely need you around to keep the lower level Mages occupied while I contend with Eider and the Demon." She sighed slightly,

"... as for the Demon, I don't have plan, but I don't need to have one either." She mumbled, "... Once I see it- look at it- I should be alright.... it'll probably be hard as hell, but I can take it down."

".... what makes you so sure of that?" Doranbolt asked lowly, Hora  blinked.

"Because I'm the only Devil Slayer in Fiore. It's my job to slay Demons, and I'm here to slay this one." She answered flatly, their eyes widened, jaws dropping a little as they struggled to process the words.

"SaberTooth sent it's Devil Slayer to finish this mission, and that is exactly what I'm going to do."

* * *

 

_Three Hours Prior-_

"You have to  keep some of your people here," Hora muttered lowly, her eyes casting sideways toward Lahar as they stood before the massive door- the Council Soldiers and Knights bustling and lining up behind them. Light bounced from the man's glasses as he looked her way,

"This door has to stay open." She explained, "The key makes it a portal into their Guild Hall- and it's already been established that the building teleports itself constantly. It would be really bad if the door gets shut with us in there, and we get teleported off to who the hell knows where." He blinked, before nodding.

"Understood." He murmured, before he turned his head to shout off orders to do just as she said.

"What happens if you lose?"

Hora blinked, her eyes moving from Lahar to the stern faced Doranbolt on her other side, his eyes narrowed and arms crossed over his chest. But he gazed at her steadily, she got the distinct feeling he was not at all pleased with any of this, or her orders.

"...... optimistic one, aren't you." She grumbled,

"Your plan is insane. I've read the reports about this Demon- I've seen the damage it can do. It's decimated entire cities." He replied lowly, " 'Devil Slayer' or not, you're planning to fight by yourself. So what happens if you lose?"

Hora stiffened slightly, her mind flooded suddenly with image and thought of Jiemma and his wrath if she failed....

Her fists clenched at her sides, her eyes narrowing to slits as she looked back up toward the door in front of them.

"........ you get everyone out." She muttered, he blinked. "All of your people, you get out of that Guild Hall and you slam the door shut."

".... even if that means leaving me behind."

Doranbolt went rigid, his eyes widening as he turned her way in shock,

"... if I lose, you can't be stupid and try taking on a Demon of Zeref by yourselves." Hora went on before he could say anything, "... there's no point getting yourselves killed." She huffed,

"...... but like I said, I'm not planning on losing...." She grumbled hotly, ".... there's too much at stake if I do... I'm not risking it..." She added in lowly,

Doranbolt stared, lost for words as she remained still- she never looked his way again, and he found he couldn't look away from her. He was dazed- and why not?

SaberTooth had a reputation for being ruthless and... hardasses. No one in that Guild had seemed all that compassionate, and as it was- she had thus far been rather harsh and agitated. So the sudden show of concern for them and their safety was a shock.

Hora sighed again, shaking her head as she uncrossed her arms from about her chest and instead lifted them over her head, her shoulders cracking as she linked her hands together and cracked her knuckles too. She let her hands drop back down before she started to unbuckle the straps that wove around her torso and her stomach, unzipping the jacket she was wearing and shrugging it off- leaving her arms bare in the sleeveless leather shirt she usually wore.

Hora's eyes fell closed as she let her hands fall on her hips, feeling the icy hot burn move from where the sensation had been throbbing against the right side of her neck. The wicked, jet black markings spread quickly down her shoulders, both arms and up her neck to stop just under her jaw- bits and pieces of her skin still visible as they remained a jagged design rather than engulfing her skin entirely.

Doranbolt found himself staring, his eyes glittering as he watched those strange markings appear across her skin- and his own skin crawling as he felt her Magical Pressure increase in the back of his mind.

Was this... what a Devil Slayer looked like...?

"Ah....  Miss?"

Hora's eyes opened in surprise at a voice she recognized, her head turning along with Doranbolt's as they lay eyes on that young, fidgeting little soldier-boy that had escorted her to meet Lahar and Doranbolt an hour before.

_... Ira, was it?_

Lahar had walked up with Ira at his side, his glasses bouncing the pale light of the sun as they stopped. And once again, Ira was glancing quickly between all things and yet never her-

"... yeah?" She asked lowly, eyebrow quirking slightly as she shot Ira and Lahar both a look of question. Her eyes found Ira's hand when she noticed he was holding something that looked like..... a ribbon?

"You mentioned before we were unaware of what the layout of North Wind's Guild hall is." Lahar murmured, "If you really intend to rush ahead, we will likely become separated from you." Hora's head tilted slightly,

"In that event, it would be a good idea to be able to find you- should complications arise, either on your end or ours." Lahar explained, "Young Ira has a knack for Magic that deals in finding things and people. I would appreciate if you were to allow him to prepare a Spell that would allow us to find you, if need be."

Hora sweatdropped slightly, her eyes glinting a little. She couldn't say it didn't make sense... but that sounded an awful lot like being tracked, and that put her on edge a little.

"....... and... what sort of Spell, are you thinking of using..?" She asked slowly,

".... ah... it's... easier to find things, when I have an object I've made, and can lock onto." Ira murmured quietly, those green eyes of his daring to flit up toward her for the briefest of seconds- before snapping away again. His hands lifted as he showed her the length of ribbon she had noticed earlier, "... I've put a Tracking Spell on this, so as long as you have it with you- I should be able to find you, wherever you might end up..."

Hora bit the inside of her cheek,

"....... do you want me to tie it around my wrist or something?" She asked lowly, "........ My Magic get's pretty hot, I'd probably just melt it."

Ira blinked, stiffening slightly as he shook his head quickly.

"I, ah, I've put a Preservation Spell on it, it won't get damaged." He explained quickly, blinking as he paused.

".... I can also, ah... enchant it, so you won't lose it while you're fighting or anything." He added nervously, Hora looked from him toward Lahar- only to have him give her a pointed look. She got the feeling she didn't have a choice on the matter,

_.... tch.... fine._

Hora stepped forward, her hand extending in exasperation as she halted right in front of Ira- who flinched back in surprise at her sudden approach, green eyes wide and looking stunned.

"Fine, hand it over." She mumbled, he stared. There was a few moments where he simply looked at her, the ribbon in his hands and completely motionless.

Hora sweatdropped,

 _'...... this boy is very easily stunned.'_ Lixue mumbled,

_Tell me about it... geez._

"..... Are you going to give it to me?" She asked flatly, he jumped, his hands fumbling as he nodded- before quickly handing it over. She saw Lahar let out a sigh of exasperation from the corner of her eye,

She might have usually been amused by him and his nervous demeanor... but she was so tense and worked up right now, she couldn't find the will to be amused. It just annoyed her, a little,

..... Stupid as it was, Ira reminded her faintly, just faintly, of her older brother when he tried to talk to the other children in their town... Especially the girls, he was always so damned flustered- she had thought it funny, once upon a time....... But her heart ached painfully at that memory, and she hated herself for letting her thoughts go there.

"S-sorry..." Ira stammered quickly, Hora shook her head a little- taking the ribbon up in her hands as she pulled her hair back into a small tuft of a ponytail, using the ribbon to tie the short, choppy strands together- whilst leaving the braided piece near her bangs free. Ira watched her do so in silence, his green eyes glittering as she let her hands fall again.

".... you said you would enchant it?" She added quietly, he nodded, his fingers snapping as light shimmered around the ribbon- turning the white color it had been to a deep red. "... alright, thank you... I suppose." Ira nodded,

"O-of course..."

"You can head back now, Ira." Lahar murmured, his hand falling lightly on the young man's shoulder.

"Yes, Captain." Ira murmured, before heading away quickly.

".... how old is that kid?" Hora asked flatly, earning a small smile from Lahar.

"He is younger than most, but his skill in Magic makes up for it." Lahar assured easily, Hora blinked. But he seemed content to leave it at that, his smile fading as seriousness replaced it.

"All my men are in position, we're now waiting on you to open the door, and begin." Lahar told her quietly, Hora nodded stiffly.

She felt the fire burn hotter in her core.

She pulled a few dozen pieces of paper out of one of her pockets, ink stretched across every one in some depiction of a feathered animal. Gold pulsed from her fingertips and into the stack of papers, setting them alight in flame instantly before she tossed them up above her head.

Ash and bits of gold and fire fell like snow around her as the flame flashed, the paper eaten away and taking on life as about two dozen birds of paper and fire came to life around her- their wings flaming yet never burning away. They were bigger than Drille, with long tails and wide wings- as they cooed softly her way, fluttering in place and waiting. She scarcely noticed the looks of wonder and awe that spread among the faces of Lahar, Doranbolt and the rest of the soldiers, and only barely cast a glance up toward the Firebirds.

She turned back to the door, her hand moving to pull the key from her other pocket- her fingers brushed against the Calling Card tucked in her pocket too, making her pause.

_This is it..... Open this door, and all hell breaks loose._

She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes narrowing to slits.

 _'Open this door, and you will fight not only the Guild, nor the Beast... but you will fight yourself.'_ Lixue murmured lowly, _'... your Magic will grow stronger here, threaten to consume you.'_

_I will not let it._

Her hand moved, the key in her fingers as she stepped up. She could practically feel every single one of the soldiers lined up behind her suddenly hold their breath, their shoulders tense, their weapons held tightly in their hands.

Everything went deadly silent, not even the wind seemed to have noise.

She thought, just for a split second-

_I should have called Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch this morning..._

But it was too late now, she put the key in the old, cracked opening of the keyhole- and turned it with a soft click, Magic and light appearing for a second.

Those massive, great stone doors creaked loudly as they swung open, a wash of icy cold wind rushing through the opening to wash over them all.

With the wind came a roar of something terrible... something _huge_.

* * *

 

Rogue stopped dead in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat and shivers running up and down his spine on loop- some icy, heavy, cold chill falling down over him and his heart skipping a beat in... in _fear._

He couldn't breathe, his muscles locked up, his blood ran suddenly cold- it was _terror_ that hit him, and it came out of nowhere- with no rhyme nor reason. His ears were ringing, almost painfully so- like the air was shaking, the wind carrying with it some hissing, rumbling noise that had him struggling to breathe.

_W-what....t...the..._

Some... something was wrong. Really wrong. He couldn't remember ever feeling such..... danger, evil even.

_.... w...why...._

"Are you alright, Sting-Kun?"

Lector's voice caused Rogue to look over toward the red Exceed, his eyes finding Sting- who looked uneasy, his shoulders tight as he shivered,

"..... yeah....  I'm ok.... I just got the chills for some reason..." Sting mumbled nervously,

"Hmm? You don't have cold, do you?" Lector asked, Sting sweatdropped slightly.

"... no.... it was just..... like I got a bad feeling, all of a sudden." Sting murmured, the blonde bit the inside of his cheek as he glanced from Lector and back behind him- to Rogue.

His blue eyes lit up in slight panic when he saw how pale and uneasy the Shadow Dragon Slayer looked,

"....... you felt it too...?" Sting asked quickly, Rogue nodded stiffly- Lector and Frosch exchanged confused looks. Sting and Rogue's eyes flashed, faint traces of panic and worry working it's way into their faces their hearts started to pound a little faster.

"....s...shit...!"

* * *

 

Natsu's jaw clenched, his fangs grinding down on each other as his heart skipped a beat- he stopped and turned back in the direction that had come from, eyes glinting as he searched the horizon quickly- his heart pounding in his ears and stiff as a board. He was so intent on searching the horizon, his ears straining and his fists clenched at his sides that he missed whatever question everyone else in his Team shot his way upon noticing that he had stopped walking.

He'd been slightly on edge since leaving- but this, this was _fear_ , and it hit him like a train out of nowhere.

Something wasn't right, he knew that immediately- and though he didn't know what specifically, he knew in his core that it was because of that SaberTooth Wizard he had left behind, and had had to fight himself every step of the way not to turn right around and go back to.

He wanted to trust her, wanted to believe in her so badly and though he hated himself for leaving- he forced himself to, because that was what she wanted- but this feeling had him ready to start running, because this feeling was _bad._

His fists balled at his sides, his jaw clenching harder as he tried his best to understand why. Worry, fear? Danger maybe?

Or just... evil?

Hora.... he didn't know how he knew, but he knew.... but this feeling had something to do with her, and that scared him.

He shouldn't have left.... damn it!

But he didn't move, he couldn't move... he hated that he _couldn't._

_Tch...... shit....._

* * *

 

__Two Hours Prior-_ _

There were hundreds of them _,_ and they just kept coming.

The corridors were wide open, the roof reaching far over their heads and low burning torches and lights being snuffed out and paling in comparison with the shine and burn of Hora's Magic tearing through that Building.

Fire washed through the halls and the throngs of Dark Wizards like some great flood- burning, bold, boiling orange and yellow that tore up the floors, blackened them, singed everything, melted more. The air was radiating and uncomfortable, what chill North Wind's base seem to hold so tightly too was faltering under the heat- the wind that had been cold and cutting since opening the door was being pushed back against by the waves of hot air Hora kept stirring up.

There wasn't a single person in there that hadn't been shocked, there must have been some sort of alarm or warning- because hardly a few moments passed between opening the door and her Firebirds being set loose, that there was a drove of people looking to oppose her and the Council soldiers.

Hora had hesitated only a split second, her heart pounding and blood racing- that noise that shook the air as she opened the door, that rumbling and hissing that came on the wind- her Magic had leapt at it, stirred violently- she knew what the noise was, and where it came from.

And her Magic _yearned_ for facing it.

She dove into the fight, Magic ablaze and temper too. She jumped through people and weapons and Magic alike, blowing them apart, sending them crashing through walls- letting her Magic blaze through the corridor to engulf hundreds of them all at once, and leave them dazed and hardly able to move in the pure force and explosive power that came with it. She was moving further in at a steady pace, and much quicker than maybe even she anticipated- she had lost track of the Magic Council a while ago, but she didn't really care.

She couldn't ever remember a time where she had felt such a rush- when she was using her Magic and using it on full force like this. She had held back all her life, afraid of herself and afraid of losing total control- and while that fear lingered..... She hadn't ever felt so in control than as she did right then. Even using it against people, she was afraid of hurting them beyond repair- but she let her Magic swallow these people whole and she _knew_ she wouldn't kill them.

There was such a wash of fire and heat running through her core that had her heart pounding, her limbs burning, energy unlike anything she had ever felt running through her on end- numbing everything. She hardly noticed nor cared that she had long since left the Council Knights and Soldiers behind, or even those several scratches and cuts and bruises she was slowly earning from the fighting- the few and far between times anyone actually managed a hit.

She just kept going, heading deeper and deeper into the building- moving closer to where that chill wind seemed to be born from, where she could hear a deep, rumbling roar from time to time- her Magic flared more violently every time she heard it. It shook her to the core and a part of her _loved_ it.

_Come on.... Show yourself..... You too, Eider.... Both of you._

_'Stay focused.'_ Lixue intoned, _'You can't get too carried away, Hora.'_

"I'm not." Hora replied lowly, her eyes flashing a little as she heard Lixue sigh.

_'.... Forgive me if I cannot help but be worried...'_

Hora let out a huff, her hand swiping forward as a line of dazzling red-orange flame sparked through the air, tearing a line through the droves of people that had come to face her in the next hallway.

Hora could not find fault in the 'worry'. Not knowing what Arden did, what so many of them did, failed-

_My Magic is Not Me_

The air shook as brilliant red and orange suddenly flashed across by a flurry of incredible _gold_ flame.

_And I am not Arden, I am not them... I am better._

She'd never felt more sure nor confident of anything in her life as she was of those thoughts. It was something of an odd feeling... And something good, too.

There was a standstill in the rush of fighting, her eyes narrowed to slits as her eyes faded from their usual dark blue into that same brilliant gold to match the fire- North Wind Mages of every caliber had backed off, circling her, wary, angry... afraid.

The air shook, some deep, deafening roar that would have curdled the blood of anyone around to hear it. She felt it, the sound rumbled through her core, shook her to the bones- ignited that burning fire in her soul all the higher, made her Power surge faster, wilder, stronger.

Her eyes moved over the heads of those surrounding her, down a deep hallway, toward a place consumed in shadow- somewhere dark, and cold, and chilly- and she knew in an instant that was the way she needed to go.

_There you are_

Hora let out a small breath, her eyes flashing as several people moved toward her- intent on lashing out, fighting back- but they didn't stand a chance, and she couldn't really care any less about them or what they were doing.

She could smell it on the air, taste it- foul, black blood... wind and cold and evil.

_Devil_

"Get her!"

"Show this bitch who she's messing with!"

"Die, damn it!"

Hora was gone from where she had been in a second, the people around her all faltering and wide eyed as they tried to make sense of how she could have disappeared so quickly-

"Fire Devil's;"

Their heads snapped up, jaws dropping, eyes watering and sweating as a wave of heat washed down over them from above- from her, where she had jumped into the air and over their heads toward that hallway too quickly to follow her movements.

"Burning Sea!"

The corridor below her was engulfed in a wash of golden- blue fire that swept over the people and flooded every direction of the room and the branching hallways like a great, sudden flood of some violent, tumultuous ocean. People yelled in pain, rage, surprise- whatever- their hair and clothes singing as the ocean of blue-gold set off hundreds of strong, small little explosions all around- buffeting them and throwing them about, knocking most senseless, others too winded to get back up- all alive, none of them seriously hurt, either.

She must have taken out near a hundred and a half people in the course of a few seconds- the noise dying around her and the intensity of the people as she landed lightly back on her feet, passed the line of people previously boxing her in- and stepping down that hallway still spilling chill air despite the ocean of fire she had just let loose.

Her feet carried her forward down that hallway, her nose filled with the cold air, almost tasting the evil on her tongue- there was another roar that shook the walls, the floor- everything.

 _'..... you are gaining better control...'_ Lixue mumbled,

_Damn right_

Hora blinked, her feet skidding a little as she whipped around a bend in the corridor- she could see her breath starting to form a cloud in front of her.

Oddly enough, though... she couldn't remember any time in her life she had felt like this. Almost... confident.

_'.... try not to get too overconfident, however.'_

Her heart was pounding madly, her skin crawling, her senses on high alert- everything poised, ready, expectant- _driven._ She felt herself getting worked up, her body growing tense, she felt her Magic rumbling under her skin, burning so hot it was icy in those markings on her skin- she was close, she could feel it, every part about her could feel it. Her blood felt like it was on fire, rushing through her like lightning,

This was happening.... hell it hadn't hit her until she took another, quick corner- and her breath billowed out in front of her, snatched away instantly by the wash of chill wind that hit her full on.

The room that rose in front of her was less a room than some huge, giant cavern. Spires of rock rose up from the floor and hung from the ceiling like jagged, sheer stone daggers. The roof was so far over her head it was likely taller than the Guild Hall, times two- and wider than that times about four or five.

The stone glittered, though. Everything was encased in ice, frost- there were icicles poking down from the roof, shimmering, hardly frozen pools littered in divets around the floor. Sections of the floor were encased in sheer, clear ice that seemed near transparent. Wind wove around the rocks and spires of stone sticking up from the floor like columns, hissing across the ice and whistling through small holes in the rocks all around.

It would have almost looked beautiful, if not for the clear scent of death and rot- and the bones scattered here and there, bodies and corpses locked away in an icy prison, some half... eaten.

Hora's eyes scanned that icy expanse for only half a second, her eyes moving through the columns of stone and toward that massive shadow, that roar that shook everything in the room- sent pieces of stone and ice alike falling from the roof around her, boomed in her ears and echoed from the ice and rock strangely.

Hora's blue eyes flashed, the blue dying under the glow of gold they suddenly became- and stayed.

"A little Tiger, come to die, hmm?"

That voice bounced off the cavern walls near just as much as the beast's low, rumbling growls did. Hora didn't let her eyes come off of that monster though, she looked it up and down, took every inch of it in- her golden stare keen and piercing, mind racing.

One look at any Demon, Devil- whatever, and her eyes could pick it apart. Find weaknesses in seconds, vulnerable spots- see the makeup of it's body, it's bones, its Magic. It was something akin to all Devil Slayers, a sense of their prey- it was like they could see through it, deep into it's core and know exactly what it was, get an idea what it could do.

It certainly made coming up with a plan to kill it easier, though the execution of that plan was something else entirely.

That Demon of Zeref, Neveleous.... was fucking _huge._

_Well... shit_

Neveleous had a body covered in spikes and scales(?) of what looked like sharp, jagged poles of ice erupting from skin a dismal, dreary grey color. There were milky white eyes that seemed to see nothing and yet saw everything all at once, it's claws (five on each leg) scraped against the stone and wore lines into it wherever it as, a wash of fog or mist or frothing wind hung like a cloud around it's feet. Upon it's back were four wings of sheer, deep grey- no feathers, but leathery and beating up enough wind to make the air shake- but Hora could hardly imagine hey were used for actual flying. There were sharp claws poking up from the end of the top of the wings, deadly and longer than her body alone, and coupled with two tails on which ended in a band of those same spikes that stuck up from everywhere.

The beast roared the second it saw her, the wind picking up in speed by a couple dozen miles all at once and sending frost and bits of ice up to meet her. Hora took a small step back to brace herself, her arms moving up to shield her eyes as she grimaced.

That Demon was easily as big as Deliora, and probably bigger still.

Her eyes flashed, narrowed to slits as she kept her eyes trained on Neveleous- but her ears trained elsewhere instead.

_... there... the legs, the center of the wings.... there's no spikes nor scales under the jaw either... weak spots._

Hora sweatdropped a little, a small lump forming in her stomach.

_I can see.... the base Magic is Wind Magic...... the ice is only because it's getting so cold.... but it's main power is Wind... and on a scale of such magnitude....._

A brand of Magic blazed suddenly across the Demon's forehead as it tried to take a step forward toward her, it roared- pain, anger- something like that as Hora swallowed.

_.... now that's not meant to be there...._

"Tch..... quit hiding, Eider. There's no point." Hora snapped coldly, her eyes daring to break away from Neveleous to scan the area quickly. She shook herself a little, willing that lump in her stomach to be burned away by the rush of Energy and the stirring turmoil her Magic lurched into upon entering the room, smelling the death and decay on the tumultuous wind.

"I take it you're the little Tiger that's been meddling in my Guild's affairs."

Hora growled under her breath, her eyes locking ahead toward the figure that appeared between herself and the Demon, his coat swept up from a gust of wind and the roar that Neveleous let loose. Those dark, chocolate eyes looked cold and cutting as the man looked across toward her, lanky arms crossed about his chest and silver hair slicked back enough it hardly moved in all the wind.

_Eider..._

"Hmm...... you're alone." Eider hummed, his eyes intense. ".... Reports said you dismantled my Slave Market with three Fairies, yet here you are, all on your own, and even without any of the Magic Council right behind you." His head tilted slightly, his finger fidgeting as he twisted a ting around his thumb almost absentmindedly. "One little Tiger, all on your own... facing me and a Demon of Zeref. I'd say you were stupid, but considering how easily you've blown through all my men, it's clear you aren't anything that ordinary."

"That Magic of yours... and those Markings." Eider's eyes flashed with something colder, more dangerous. Hora felt a shiver run up her spine, her jaw clenching a little- she recognized that look, familiarity, _knowing._

"Tch..." She hissed,

".... hmmm, so you're his successor, are you?" Eider grumbled, "Ardendous,  the arctic hellfire of the north. Killer of men, woman, children... burning a line through the northern continents and leaving despair and blood in his quake. A monster of a man who thought he could burn the country to a crisp, then leave it cold and dead behind him." Eider hummed, Hora let out a low, near animalistic growl though the man hardly seemed to care. "Gelidus Inferniom, a name that brought fear into the hearts of the Northern Continent for near a decade... and a name that faded into nothing a very, very long time ago. Hmm... I had heard he was fool enough to try and take on the Demon Deliora, and failed... I had thought his Magic died with him. But apparently I was wrong."

He smiled wryly, his eyes glinting coldly. "But you? A little girl? What was that idiot thinking, handing such Power over to someone like you?" He laughed, Hora's eyes flashing as she bristled, her anger rising more and more by the second. "Look at you! You couldn't have been more than a little welp when he gave it to you! What the hell went through his head?!"

 _'...Horatia...'_ Lixue murmured cautiously, she barely heard him at all.

Eider stiffened a little, his eyes widening when flame suddenly sprung around Hora's clenched fists.

_I was six_

"Shut your filthy mouth, asshole." Hora snapped coldly,

"Oh, do you have his temper as well as his Magic?" Eider hummed, "Gelidus had quite the reputation, heh... some might even saw he's more a monster than me. Does his successor have the same evil streak as he did?"

_You slaughter entire villages_

"I said shut the hell up!" Hora snapped, her eyes flashing. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Oh, don't I?" Eider hummed, "With the way you charged in here no hesitation, I have to assume you at least have that same wild side, right? You've been taking my people down in droves."

"And I've not killed a single one." Hora snapped back, "I'm not here to kill you either, Eider... though there's nothing I want to do more, now that you've brought up that _bastard_."

_He killed me, over and over..._

Eider quirked a brow, his head tilting as the amusement disappeared from his face and he looked at her carefully.

".... so you're not entirely like him, are you?" He asked flatly, "... you haven't killed a single person.... if you had been anything like Gelidus, everyone you came across would be lying dead behind you. And yet they are not, as you say..... what a pity." He sighed,

"I was hoping you were here to try and kill me, it would make killing you more fun... but oh well. That Magic seems wasted on someone like you, all that power, all that darkness- and you still cling to 'goodness'? Pathetic." He laughed, just once.

"But I see you do have your predecessors temper, if nothing else. Will talking more of Gelidus and all his awful, awful deeds, fire you up enough to make you at least an amusement, before you die?" Eider asked lowly, his eyes glinting maliciously as Hora hissed.

"Even with the Magic of the Arctic Hellfire, do you really think you have any chance of winning?" Eider called, "Especially when you are unwilling to kill anyone, in order to win? The only way you'd ever have even the slightest chance against us, is only if you're willing to _kill_ , little Tiger."

"Just fucking _watch_ me." Hora growled, the Magic around her hands burning brighter as Neveleous behind Eider roared, the Wind buffeting against her harder- though she didn't budge. "I may not be here to kill you, but that Demon you have wrapped around your thumb is going to die today- and neither of you will harm another single person again!" Eider hissed a little, his incessant spinning of the ring on his thumb coming to a halt as he sweatdropped slightly. 

"Tch..... do your best, bitch." Eider hissed, his arms unhooking from about his chest as he swung one hand forward- a Magic Circle blazing before him as light bounced from that same ring he had been fuddling with the entire time. Hora's shoulders tensed, her fists clenching harder at her sides as her Fire grew more violent, raging regardless of the unending surplus of wind that would have killed any other sort of flame long, long before.

Neveleous roared behind Eider, that Branding she had seen before suddenly blazing brightly across it's forehead- making it roar, fidget, pound it's feet into the ground- anger and _pain._

_Slave_

"Kill her, Beast!" Eider snapped, Hora moved, lightning fast in the same second that Neveleous let open it's jaws- and she felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees as a massive Magic Circle appeared before it's teeth,

 _'Do you intend to deal with Eider first?'_ Lixue intoned in an instant.

_He's controlling that thing, Lixue_

_'Yes, but if it's released? There's no telling what it might do, having that man thralling over the Demon may be holding it's true power back.'_ Lixue pointed out, _'You can already see it's been bound, there's chains wrapped around it's very soul.... it's in pain, releasing it may just give it reason to rampage.'_

_So you want me to kill Neveleous before dealing with Eider? There's no telling what he might throw my way while I'm busy with that thing!_

_'But if the Demon is left to fight of it's own volition?'_ Lixue replied, calm as ever yet _persistent._

 _'Eider will have it under control enough as not to bring down this Guild Hall over our heads, but if the Bonds are broken- Neveleous could very well destroy everything, uncaring of who is buried or killed in the crossfire.'_   Hora sweatdropped slightly, _'It could bury not only you, but everyone here. Including those of the Council you seem so intent on keeping alive, if you can.'_

 _Shit...._ she fucking hated it when Lixue was right.

Stone and ice alike was ripped apart as a torrent of wind like thousands of sharp, cutting swords swept out over the cavern. Slabs of rock were cut clean through as rubble and bones were sent flying everywhere, the entrance to which Hora had arrived it was destroyed- piles of debris falling to shut it off, and lock her inside.

Eider cursed under his breath, his attention snapping from where Hora had been standing not two seconds before- to over his head, the dismal grey and blue color of the room clashed with ferociously from the wild, violent surge of flame over his head that surrounded Hora entirely.

He blinked, grimacing when he realized she wasn't even looking at him- her eyes had locked forward toward Neveleous, her Magic blazing as she lift her arms above her head, a bright, white-hot ball of flame between her palms and her eyes glittering gold and red.

"Fire Devil's: Infernium!" Hora snapped, throwing her arms down toward the Demon as she drew near, the ball of flame between her hands growing in size in seconds- until it was as large as a car, and it swung down on top of Neveleous.

The cavern shook as an massive explosion sparked off of Hora's Magic making contact with the Demon's head, pounding against it's jaw and it's eyes- in effort to daze it, distract it- so she could go for one of those weak spots her Magic and her eyes picked out in seconds. The Demon roared in pain and rage, it's head and wings swinging this way and that in confusion and flailing as Hora landed on her feet again- just near it and close enough that the wind buffeting her from all the movement was enough to make her body ache, the mist and fog hanging around it's legs felt chill against the heat of her skin.

_Legs_

Hora's hands snapped out, her arms extending all the way on either side of her as she curled her fingers over her palms, flame of a blinding white and yellow color springing up to spiral around her arms toward her hand, before converging in her palms.

"Fire Devil's: Hellfire Blades!"

Hora's arms swung forward, her hands clapping together as the balls of fire between them leapt out from between her fingers- and moved forward, hundreds of thin, incredibly fast streams of fire that cut through the air and the wind with ease, letting out a high-pitched, whistling sound that hurt her ears- but she hardly cared. Those streams of flame erupted around her, moving toward Neveleous and striking hard and fast into it's legs like hundreds of deadly sharp, burning blades.

Neveleous roared, two of it's legs buckling and bleeding in seconds as Hora stood her ground with her palms still pressed together, her jaw clenched and eyes narrowed to slits as she watched her Magic work-

"Don't think you can ignore me!"

Hora felt the hair on the back of her neck stick up, her heart leaping in her chest and eyes widening as her head snapped left- her fire glinted off the shine of something wickedly sharp, something that was being thrust toward her as Eider appeared beside her, looking grim and furious all at once.

Her hands broke apart, her Spell shattering before it's work was done, as she jumped backward to avoid the hit, her arm moving up as a wash of flame flew out between her and Eider- and slammed into him and the blade he had brought with him, it's metal shinning blue-silver and almost.... glistening, as if it was encased in water.

He brought the blade up in front of him to guard himself from her Magic, her flames hissing and sending up smoke as they made contact with the edge- it _was_ covered in water, water infused with Magic.

_That's unfortunate... Wind and Water both? And to add it's so cold Ice forms? Shit, my Element really isn't the best for this...._

She jumped right, stiffening when she saw (or rather, felt the earth shake) as Neveleous moved, wind and bits of ice and frost alike washing up as it roared, it's head lurching down toward her and one bloodied leg lifting to strike it's claws out at her while she was distracted.

"Where is that fire, little Tiger?!"

Eider was next to her, _again._

_How fucking fast is this guy?!_

Hora stumbled, lurching forward as one of Neveleous' legs slammed into her from behind, sending her skidding forward and off balance as she struggled to regain her footing once more. Light flashed off Eider's blade from the very, very corner of her eye- her head turning in his direction as he swung that strange sword of his toward her,

_'Hora!'_

Her foot slipped on the ice and water underfoot, all momentum she had had to get her out of the way of the blade's path was lost, and she stumbled back in time to avoid the blade cutting straight through her body- only for icy, burning pain to sear across both cheeks and the bridge of her nose, warm, sticky scarlet springing up in the blade's quake and getting into her eyes as Hora yelped.

Fire leapt up between herself and Eider all on instinct, hissing and hardly able to see as her vision dotted and her eyes filled with red, winded and blinding in pain as she struggled to put distance between herself and the man.

She barely managed to see Eider sweep his hand before him in a waving motion,

"Not so fast!"

A wall of water sprung up, moving into it's liquid state after having previously been ice on the floor- Hora's back slammed into it as she was moving to get out of the way of the Demon's giant claws swinging out toward her. The flames she had let rise up around her hissed and shrunk away from the water she had slammed into hard enough it felt more like rock than water, her right hand instinctively rushing backward to slap against the wall of liquid- only to have her heart drop into the pits of her stomach when she realized _nothing happened._

"S-Shit...!" She stammered, her eyes flicking forward toward those claws getting closer she was struggling to see around the blood that had splashed into her eyes.

 _'You forgot...?!'_ Lixue snapped, slightly exasperated but he sounded more panicked. She felt just as panicked, her Magic blazing brighter, the water hissing and spitting as steam started to encase everything around her. Hora swept her arms up in front of her, her eyes snapping closed on instinct,

"Crimson Flame!"

Deep scarlet fire sprung up as a wall between herself and the Demon's claws headed straight for her- the contact of them both sending up a wave of explosive force as her Magic imploded against the pure power behind the hit. Hora gasped, the wave of force knocking into her and sending her falling back through the wall of water hard enough she hit the ground and bounced a good hundred feet before stopping, gasping for air and cuts littering various places of her body from skidding so far.

Better than being impaled though, but that cut that had been sliced across her cheek, over her nose, and down the other cheek just below her eyes, was bleeding and throbbing in pain now, deep and stinging.

_I can't believe... I thought I could... fuck!_

Hora pushed herself up onto her feet, her eyes narrowed as she heard Eider call out some sort of command, the wind picking up again as Magic Circle's appeared on all sides around her, closing her in as she hissed.

 _'You have the worst habit of cursing, are you aware?'_ Lixue muttered dryly,

"Shut _up_ , Lixue!" Hora snapped hotly, her eyes closing as she clapped her hands in front of her.

"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled lowly, a waft of air rushing up to meet the currents of icy cold all around, washed against them with a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it.

"Guardian Circle!!"

The glow of gold and blue lit up the room and bounced from the stone, heat wafting around through the air in wild waves as wind carrying bits of ice like daggers rammed into the sheer, near solid wall of flame that erupted her in a circle, a line between Hora and the attack that had surrounded her on all sides. Hora let her hands fall apart as one of them moved up to cover the wound across her nose, blinking several times to get rid of the blood that had gotten into her eyes- and wiping away the blood that had dripped down her nose, and chin. She hissed when she grazed against the wound, her eyes flashing.

"You still think going after the Demon before Eider is a good idea, _Lixue_?!" Hora snapped, agitated as all hell and pissed- both at him and herself, and Eider- and the fact he had gotten in that hit that hurt like _hell._ Her voice was nearly lost among all the noise of her fire and the wind trying to get at her, what bits of ice among the currents hissing as they melted in seconds upon touching the wall of flame.

 _'You're the one who forgot-'_ Lixue grumbled,

"I know! I know I forgot, but- gahhhhhhhh, fucking damn it!" Hora snapped, cutting him and his voice in her head off.  Hora let out a huff, her arms crossing over one another in an 'X' formation before her as she let her eyes fall shut- she was wasting Magic Energy the longer she stayed in that Circle, and she felt strain setting in fast against what massive amount of force she blocking against.

They were both pissed, Hora was just getting angrier- and it was rare for Lixue to be angry. At least they were (mostly) angry about the same thing, as in Hora's mind flashed the image of one _Jiemma Orlando._

And she wanted nothing more than to burn him alive- but right now his face melded into that of Eider as her eyes snapped open, and the golden-blue glow of her fire blazed brighter, sparkling off the ice and the moisture.

Jiemma wasn't there for her to let her anger out on, but Eider and Neveleous were- and that fuel for the fire burning inside her had to be enough.

"Fire Devil's;" Hora growled under her breath, the black markings across her arms spinning in their place, never covering her skin entirely, but moving and twisting- almost like flame themselves.

"Phoenix Flame!"

Three huge birds of fire sprung up above Hora as she swept her arms out on either side of her, the sound of the wind being cut apart by the birds shrill calls, their wings beating as fire and leaving embers in their quake as they shot up into the air, spinning around another before converging together in a flash of eerie gold- turning into one, single, giant bird that rivaled the size of the Guild Hall.

The bird of flame shrieked, it's wings beating furiously and sending flame flying everywhere as it struck through the wind and soared straight toward the Demon. Neveleous roared, rearing up on it's legs as it's leathery wings beat, hard- sending great wafts of wind up to try and cut straight through the bird, but it did little good.

Eider sweatdropped, his eyes wide and a little transfixed as he looked up, staring at that massive creature of gold and blue fire, the immensity of it, the heat it gave off, the flame-

His head snapped away from the bird that now had Neveleous full attention, eyes widening as he went rigid- Hora had moved, and she moved fast. Enough she was not a few dozen feet from him and completely out of the way of what fight was erupting between the Demon of Zeref and the Bird of Fire.

Hora sucked in air, tasting the blood on her tongue that had dripped down from the cut across her nose- and not caring. Her golden-red eyes locked straight onto Eider as she dug her feet into the ground underfoot,

"Fire Devil's:"

Eider hissed, his body whipping around in her direction as he brought his sword around with him.

"Rage!"

The air split, a column of flame spiraling out toward Eider and reaching a height near as tall as the Firebird was. Violently spinning flame tearing up the ground, melting the stone and the ice and evaporating the water in it's intensity as it tore through the air toward Eider, the glow reflected in his deep brown eyes as his face paled slightly at she sheer force behind the attack.

The entire area where Eider stood was plunged into a deep cloud of steam and mist, the sound of hissing and spitting water filling the air between the roars coming from Neveleous as Hora's FireBird dove headfirst in toward it, it's fire sparking against the Demon and burning as it dodged in out of hits.

Hora stiffened, her eyes snapping away from the fog when she heard the Firebird let out a screech- Neveleous' claws digging deep into the creature's body and wrenching it apart like paper, her Magic imploding in on itself in a sudden brilliant display of explosions that knocked Neveleous back a few paces with a pain-filled roar. Hora hissed under her breath, eyes flashing, the cold wind picking up again with the heat of the Fire no longer there to combat it so fiercely.

_Shit... that lasted a lot less longer than I'd hoped..._

Her eyes snapped forward when she saw a wash of water rise up from the cloud of steam, flowing fast over the cavern toward her as she jumped up into the air, her hand catching tight of one of the stalagmites to stop herself as the water washed past below her at insane speed.

"Is this all I have to expect?!"

Hora growled, her eyes narrowing as Eider appeared from the steam- that was washed away as Neveleous flapped it's wings angrily- leaving Eider standing there, clothes torn and only _slightly_ singed.

"What a pathetic excuse for a successor you are! Gelidus must have truly lost his mind, to have been willing to waste his Magic on _you_!" Eider snapped,

_He_ _**forced** _ _it on me, I never wanted it!_

"Shut the hell up! You don't know a damn thing!" Hora snapped, before breaking off when Eider swung his sword out in her direction- water springing upward from the blade and heading straight toward where she was hanging,

Hora pulled herself up enough to push her feet off the rock, fire erupting around her body as she flipped over in midair, crossing her arms before her as a ball of golden-blue fire wrapped around her person. The fire managed to keep the water at bay, to which stray streams of said Water Magic had cut clean through the stone she'd been near as if it were nothing but paper- but the blow and force against her Magic sent her backward with enough power to knock the wind from her.

She hit the ground, hard- skidding back a few seconds before managing to dig her feet into the floor, though she didn't stop sliding back over the threshold until a few more seconds had passed.

"Really?! You're wasting the potential this Magic has! All that power, all that energy that comes from rage and anger and _bloodlust!"_ Eider called back, his eyes locking with Hora's and she struggled to gain her balance again in the wind that kept battering her body nonstop. "You could burn me to a crisp, melt my flesh from my bone, blow me to a thousand- trillion pieces! And yet you are holding back!"

Hora jumped sideways, barely missing the sections of sharp, needle-like sections of ice that streaked toward her in another gust of wind and a roar from Neveleous- directed as Eider swept his hand and that ring her direction.

"You could try and kill me! It would be much easier than holding back enough to keep from murdering me!" Eider was still raving, Hora couldn't see him though- she didn't dare look his way. She was too invested on not getting killed herself, Neveleous was moving toward her, Magic and pure destructive force filling that cavern as the wind tore over everything, the stone shook and rumbled as the Demon roared and it's Magic came for her with a newfound vengeance- mostly assuredly stemmed from  Eider, his control, and his anger now.

_Kill him._

She yelped, her skin cutting in places where those markings had not covered her skin, protecting her. She stumbled, blown back and slamming against the floor as she struggled to her feet again- avoiding another attack from Neveleous as the floor and the wall she had previously been standing near was turned to nothing but rubble.

_It would be easier, just let go... let your Magic take control._

Her fire sprung around her, fighting back against the Wind Magic with a fury- only to die and smolder when Eider sent his Water Magic her way, knocking her further back, slamming her into floor and rock and boulder as her air cut off a second under the waves.

"You're weakness will get you killed, girl! You're flippancy is going to be the death of you!"

Hora's arms swept out around her, the water hissing and steaming as her fire rose up around like a dome, warding the water and the wind off as she panted, her body aching, bleeding from several scratches and from that long one across her nose- which still hurt like a _bitch,_ and dripped blood into her mouth. Everything hurt, throbbed- she was getting tossed around, pounded back, thrown about- she was dodging constantly, keeping herself alive (for now) and she wasn't catching a single second to even just _breathe._

She was using so much Magic Energy and strength her head was starting to spin the longer she kept the fight up. She wasn't sure how long she'd been going head to head with the both of Eider and Neveleous, but she knew it had to have already hit the hour mark. An hour of struggling, avoiding the hits that hurt- but didn't kill. An hour of dodging about and throwing Magic every which way, flame and fire that battled against Wind and Water Magic- the two Magics that Fire Magic wasn't really meant to contend with, not even Fire Devil Slayer Magic. Not against Wind and Water Magic on this magnitude... not even if the Wind came from a Demon.

Her eyes flashed, she could still see them- every time she spared a glance at Neveleous. The weak spots, the places vulnerable to attack- legs, wings, under the jaw- and yet _shit!_

Every inch she made it closer to Neveleous, was another foot she lost when both the Demon and the man threw Magic her way. She was constantly losing ground, she was...

_... I'm losing._

And every second of it? She felt her control slipping, felt her mind wandering to those dark thoughts- the urge, the need- to let loose. Let go completely, tear a hole through all of that Magic, wrap Eider and Neveleous both up in a world composed of nothing but Hellfire- and render both of them nothing but blackened, twisted bone. The Markings were getting hotter against her skin, creeping farther, engulfing every inch of her body, spreading up toward her eyes, across her cheeks, down her legs...

_I'm losing myself, too._

Lixue had grown deadly silent, the voice of reason in her head meant to keep her above the dark- gone.

_I can't win if I'm not willing..._

Jiemma would know. The Council Knights and Soldiers she'd lead inside, they'd scramble out of here, report back to Era- confirm she had failed. Jiemma would know, and when he found out she had-

_... he... he'll punish the Guild. Hurt them, beat them, maybe even...._

_So let go. Kill them, kill them both._

Hora stiffened, her eyes snapping shut, her body shaking as she kept the fire up- guarding herself, but trapped in place. She felt the marking's stretch up, covering her skin till it almost covered her entirely.

_"Your fire felt dark, it tasted like that too. Almost... not natural, twisted."_

The brilliant blue and gold was turning dark, crimson, scarlet.

_And when you do? Go back to that Guild, and kill Jiemma too._

She'd wanted to do that, for so, so long.....

"Think of how much you could do! Think of all the destruction you could cause! You must know, what it feels like to beat someone to nothing? The temptation?!" Eider was yelling still, his voice barely muffled by the wind and the roar and flame and Demon alike.

"You know you _want_ to! Use that Magic of yours to kill, slaughter- just like the Arctic Hellfire! You could surpass even his wrath, if you just let yourself Fall!! Fall just like _he_ did!!"

_Arden was a monster.... this Magic made him a monster. This same Magic in me... corrupting me, twisting me.... making me that same sort of evil that could willingly rip someone's entire life away from them. Who's hands can do nothing but harm, a soul torn and blackened, dirty, wrong. Make me hateful, violent, rage-filled, ruthless-_

Her skin had turned black, the markings taking hold of her- all of her. Shinning ebony against the blood-red light, her fire spinning faster, wilder.

_"... but you've been so nice and kind since then."_

She stiffened slightly, her eyes snapping open in surprise as her heart leapt in her chest.

_"You do smell good.... And I don't feel tense around you either. You're Magic felt weird, but I don't think you're as dark a person as your Magic feels. It was like you weren't you or a split second... but you've been you since. Nice. Gentle."_

The burning lessened, the sound of wind and fire and her own harsh breathing becoming silent on her ears.

_"You're actually a really nice person, so I guess I'm just surprised you're Magic feels so different from how you really are..... is that why it's hard for you? Cause you're Magic's really freakin' strong, I mean- I haven't felt anyone's Fire as hot as yours before. If you're Magic is dark and you're not, do you have a hard time staying who you are because it's so powerful?"_

Dragon Slayers were all so perceptive. They knew things other people don't, felt it, sensed it...

_The little girl scrambled from the woman's arms, teetering up toward Hora who went rigid at the unexpected movement. The little girl walked straight up to Hora, who sweatdropped slightly as her dark blue gaze met the chocolate brown of the little girl._

_Adie tilted her head, before tentatively reaching up and grabbing into Hora's arm, slowly making Hora move her hands from behind her back as her chocolate brown eyes traced over the black markings still staining Hora's hands and fingers. Hora stiffened, sweatdropping more but forcing herself not to react- though she wanted to rip her arm away from the little girl's grasp. Adie smiled brightly, hugging Hora's arm to her chest, "Thank you for helping save me miss!" The little girl beamed, Hora blinked in shock._

_... Those marks... They're evil. Even children know evil when they're near it... So why...?_

\- wouldn't people know? Wouldn't children, Dragon Slayers... anyone? People knew evil when they were near it- true evil set anyone on edge, set their instincts flaring, made them wary. True evil was always felt, no matter who, where. No matter if it was hidden, or out in the open, they would know, they had to- no one would ever care for anything that felt utterly, truly evil to them, right..?

_"You're my friend! Of course I'm worried if you're feeling sick or getting hurt!"_

_"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not. A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."_

_"I'm glad to have met you as well."_

_"We need to know, we have to... We don't want to be kept on the dark, especially not if you're in pain. We're your best friends, you shouldn't have to hide anything from us."_

_"You're the best friend any of us have ever had!"_

...... could anyone call someone truly evil... a friend?

Three Dragon Slayers, three Exceeds, two Celestial Mages, and maybe even an Ice Mage she knew more than a day?

And whole Guild full of powerful, kind, thoughtful people? People she had known for years, fought beside, laughed, argued with? A Guild full of people she had spent years worrying over, afraid of what might happen to them if Jiemma or Minerva did anything to them?

_Why can't I just.... believe, for myself..?_

_'..... there have been so many with this Magic who only wanted power. It takes a truly good soul to even produce such golden flame, a soul that wants to protect, defend and guard against evil. There have been so many that have ignored me, shut me out and relished in it when they fell, when the darkness and the evil consumed them entirely. This Magic was meant to do good, it was meant to test the will and the soul of those who wielded it, and prove that they were worthy of it. So many have used it for bad, turned it against the humans it was meant to protect.... but you, you stubborn, annoying girl. You did not ask for this Magic, you didn't want power.... you were forced into this life and you have only ever sought to use it for good. You've been tested day in and day out and though you come close to breaking point, you have never fallen. Gripe and yell at me all you do, you still listen- you have not shut me out. Not like Arden, not like those before him.... you listen. You work with me, though you may not like to.... you with the golden fire and the will to guard human lives, I have to help you, however I can- because this Magic, our Magic... it was meant for someone like you. This Magic is good with it in you- stronger in you, than it has ever been since the very start.'_

Hora blinked, her arms falling slightly- she saw specks of moisture hit the ground at her feet.

She... _I want to believe.... that I'm..._

_'You can have that, what you want, Hora.'_

"Lixue..." Hora mumbled, her heart jumping at the his voice appearing again- and relieved. She'd never felt so happy to hear him, ever.

 _'You haven't shut me out. You're looking for my voice, even when you think I'm gone.'_ Lixue murmured softly, _'And you know already, if you were truly evil- you would never have become so close with anyone, not those two Dragon Slayers, not those cats, not the Salamander. If you were really evil, they would never have come to care for you as 'friend' or anything else- and you certainly wouldn't care for any of them as much as you do.'_

_'You are willing to lay your life down for all them... would someone so evil ever even think about doing that?'_

Hora stiffened, her eyes glinting, oblivious to the tears that had started to stream from her eyes, or even the world around her. She was invested, enraptured- listening so closely to those voices in her head, to Lixue, to the memory of every single person she knew and..

The fire in her veins cooled, her Magic settled, but the markings didn't shrink back. She didn't have to _make_ them, not anymore- not because she wanted to, not out of fear that if she didn't she might lose herself again.

"No." Hora whispered, ".... I... I can't be evil, not when I know... how I feel about them, how they feel about me.... it's all _genuine_."

_It's real_

_'And there, you have what you want... to believe.'_ Lixue murmured gently,

Hora's fists clenched at her sides, her eyes falling shut as she straightened up- taking in a long, slow breath.

_'Believe that, and you will never be consumed like Arden.'_

Hora huffed, nodding as her eyes snapped open- her entire countenance straightening, firm, resolute and- powerful. She let her hands clap together in front of her,

"Because I'm nothing like him, and I'm never going to be!"

Her fire that had turned the color of blood suddenly surged, spiraling up around her with a new energy unlike anything she had ever felt, the air and the earth booming as her Fire tore out at the air and the wind and water- _everything._

Burning bright, blinding golden-azure.

Eider flinched, his eyes wide and his body pounded against by what waves of sheer power suddenly started to swim on the air- throbbing and pulsing from that same girl he had beaten down to rights not _two seconds ago._

He flinched, recoiling with a yelp of shock and pain as fire streamed toward him faster than he could see it coming- his skin burning slightly as that fire wrapped around his hand, and he wrenched it away.

Hora was in front of him in the next second, a brand of burning blue gold as her fist swung out toward him, eyes wild and skin jet black- his sword swung out, but when the edge caught her arm the blade didn't pierce the skin hardly at all- his sword was melting in his hand and he froze.

"B-Beast!" He snapped, willing the Demon to turn around, snatch her up, bit down on her- anything to keep him from getting hit. His hand swept out toward Neveleous, burning and throbbing still-

Eider felt his heart skip a beat, realizing in a split second his ring was no longer on his finger at all, but _when-?!_

The light of Hora's Magic glinted off the metal of his ring, falling toward the floor in a wisp of fire- that same fire that had taken hold of his hand a few moments before.

"Fire Devil's:" Hora hissed, waves of heat washing into his face as Eider's eyes went wide in true and utter panic-

"Explosive Fist!"

Hora's hand made contact with Eider's cheek with a resounding THUD, a tooth knocked loose instantly as his skin bruised and burned a little- a Magic Circle appeared between her fist and his face as fear flashed through his eyes.

Eider was blown away with a deafening boom, a small, compact and yet incredibly powerful explosion being set off in a single instant. His body smashed into the wall fifty yards behind him, hard enough to cave it into a small crater, yelling out in pain.

Hora halted half a second, her eyes snapping down toward the ring that had clattered to the ground at her feet-

Her foot stomped down onto the ring, shattering the metal as if it were glass.

Neveleous screeched, rearing up as the branding that had glowed across it's forehead burned brighter- before the Magic shattered, and the wind and cold in the cavern increased tenfold. The binding that Eider had placed on the Demon and infused into the ring being shattered the minute Hora destroyed it.

"N-no!!" Eider coughed, shaking as he picked himself up. Hora hardly heard him over the core-chilling roar that Neveleous let loose, the entire earth and cavern all around them shaking violently, her balance lost a little as backed up a little, sweatdropping.

"What have you done?!!"

Hora went rigid, her heart falling into the pits of her stomach at the sheer rise in Magic Energy that erupted once the seal was broken- waves upon waves of invisible force that battered against her soul and her body nearly as harshly as the wind did. It was like that Demon was entirely different, unbound-

_Lixue... I really hate it when you're right, sometimes..._

Her arms swept up, covering her face as Neveleous beat it's wings all at once, hissing as she felt herself get pushed back, the air cutting out at the stone, the earth, her.

But _damn it!_ She couldn't go head to head with the both of Eider and Neveleous at once, that hadn't been working at all. She was too busy keeping an eye on the both of them, she needed one of them out of the picture- and Eider was the one she could take care of more quickly than the other.

Everything was shaking, bits and spires of the stalagmite hanging from the roof being cut and crashing to the ground all around them, Hora's hands had moved from covering her face to covering her ears, eyes shut tight against the sheer _noise_. Noise enough it carried well passed that cavern, out into the Guild Hall of North Wind itself- past that, over land and mountain- like a great, monstrous wind in itself.

She stumbled, the earth shaking as Neveleous let it's legs slam into the ground again, it's head and body swinging around much too quickly than something of it's size should have been able to manage. She slipped slightly on the ice still littering the floor, before fire around her feet melted it again, and she felt the breath catch in her throat at where the Demon's attention landed next.

Her ears rung, the roar of the wind and the Demon's own cries shattered as a massive Magic Circle appeared before Neveleous' maw, a bright, blinding beam of wind and pure Magical Energy alike tearing out across the cavern, tearing everything up in it's path and splitting the earth in two- and headed straight toward _Eider._

Hora hissed, her teeth gritting.

The room filled with white light, the earth splitting in the quake of the Spell- the air cut apart by a shrill, high-pitched whine that the Spell let loose, everything in the radius of that attack (which was roughly as wide as the Demon was tall) being obliterated and crumbled by the sheer force. The wall Eider has smashed into was completely gone behind where he had been standing, the cavern shaking violently and the North Wind Guild Hall with it as the attack ripped a huge, looming hole into the stone and out into another portion of the Guild Hall itself.

Council Knights and North Wind Mages alike struggled to move away from the sheer destruction that suddenly faced them in the midst of their own fighting, eyes wide and yelling as they stumbled, some of them thrown, others knocked away as debris and large chunks of stone were sent flying everywhere, the wind racing through the building and frost and ice forming everywhere in it's quake, freezing things over in seconds.

Something smashed into the mountain of piled up stone and destruction that remained at the end of the attack, catching the wide, terrified eyes of everyone near enough to see it.

"T-That...?!"

"N-no, i-it can't be... r-right....?!?!?"

"M-Master Eider...?!!"

Eider was laying amongst the rubble, motionless- blood dripping from his nose and his ears, his clothes shredded and body cut every which way- frost spread across his hair and parts of his skin, his eyes whited out and completely defeated in one massive, incredible blow.

"I.. is he alive?!"

"H-HOW DID THAT-?!"

"Did.. did N-Neveleous do that, to... to him...?!"

The people watching stiffened, recoiling a little when something else moved, not a few feet from where Eider lay- still _breathing_ , mind you.

"Isn't that...?!"

The Magic Council Knights and Soldiers in the area stared, eyes wide and glittering when the wind lessened and the flying debris, dust and frost faded away enough to see that Eider was not the only person to have been thrown through that wall- their feet at the edge of the split in the earth and shaking, her body steaming and panting hard enough to make her struggle to stay standing.

"Is it her, Doranbolt?" Lahar called quickly, light bouncing from his glasses as he whipped around in the direction of the other man- who was further ahead of him. They were ragged, bruised a little and bleeding only slightly from their own fighting, before the battle came to a standstill just then- and all eyes turned to the destruction that had been wrought in seconds.

Doranbolt sweatdropped, his eyes riveted and frozen to that Saber Woman none of them had seen in near over an hour now, and now every inch of skin visible under her clothes was covered in those pitch black markings he had seen before.

But how was she still standing at all?! It looked like-

"Tch..." Hora hissed, her legs trembling terribly under her, but she didn't let herself fall, her arms crossed in front of her, shallow tears running across her skin and bleeding faintly, every inch of her covered in faint bruises and cuts, and ice that was quickly melting into a puddle underneath her. Her lungs were heaving, her breath a cloud in front of her as the water steamed still- she would have been frozen solid, if not for her Magic.

"....  fucking... lucky bastard..." Hora hissed, her arms falling slowly as her eyes flashed in the dim of the Guild Hall around them. "... if that hadn't been a Curse, instead of a Spell...... he'd be frozen solid..... dead, if I hadn't gotten to his worthless ass in time..." Hora stiffened, wincing slightly as she growled.

"W-wait, did she-?!"

"She took the full brunt of that attack?!"

"To save _Eider._.?!?!"

 _'You would likely be dead too, if that were not a Curse, Horatia.'_ Lixue grumbled, _'Is there a reason you did something that stupid?'_

"Tch... he's a bastard, but he's still human, right?" Hora grumbled lowly, "A human about to be killed by a Demon...isn't my job supposed to be to protect humans from Demons? "

 _'I think perhaps you took that a bit too seriously.'_ Lixue sighed, Hora stiffened. _'It's likely the world would be better off without a man like Eider in it..'_

A vein ticked on Hora's forehead, her teeth gritting as a wash of annoyance and agitation rose up in her core.

" _Seriously?_ First you're rambling at me about the importance of using my Magic to save people and now your getting on my ass about saving someone?! Give me a break!" Hora snapped hotly, her fists clenching into balls at her sides as she huffed. "Make up your damned mind, Lixue!"

"... who the hell is she yelling at..?"

"This chick's crazy..."

"... y-yeah..."

"Like is... is she talking to herself...?"

Hora stiffened, her attention catching to the murmuring going on around her by the Council's people and the North Wind Mages alike, her mouth snapping shut as she sweatdropped.

Aaaaaaand she was talking to Lixue out loud, _again._

_Damn it, I need to quit that... before people actually do start thinking I'm insane... I mean how the hell am I supposed to explain it anyway? "No I'm not crazy, I just happen to have this big old, annoying prat in my head named Lixue who's supposed to keep me from going Dark. Oh and by the way, Lixue's actually a d-"_

Hora's thoughts came crashing to a halt as Neveleous screeched again, the noise shaking everyone to their cores as the wind picked up again, blowing through the new hole in the wall before her with a vengeance. Many of the North Wind Mages turned tail and started running, leaving the fighting and their 'comrades' behind in a wash of terror- the Magic Council people were nearly too stunned to even try and stop their sudden flight.

Hora tensed up, her eyes flashing as she swept her arm out in front of her, Magic blazing anew as a Magic Circle stretched out under her feet, and under the feet of everyone else behind her.

"Fire Devil's: Guardian Circle!"

The wall of golden-blue fire raged around the edges of the Magic Circle, the air and earth shaking as a storm of wind cut through the gaping hole and crashed into her Magic hard enough to make her flinch, feeling immediately her Magic draining- where it had already drained considerably just defending against the Curse a minute or so before.

The people that had been running skidded to a halt as the wall of flame encircled them, eyes wide and terrified as they looked for a way out of being- essentially- trapped between raging fire and a Demon of Zeref on the loose.

The wind let up for half a second, Neveleous moving forward toward the opening as Hora hissed.

"Get everyone out of here!" She snapped, rounding on the still and stunned figures of the Magic Council Soldiers and Knights littered around her. In particular her eyes landed on the one with the glasses- Lahar, who she had heard ask something earlier, and had subsequently been ignored by a Doranbolt. Her hand swept out toward the wall of fire on the opposite and farthest side from her, leading down a corridor and away from where Neveleous seemed ready to start raging through the whole of North Wind's Guild Hall. The fire there broke apart, leaving a gateway passed the flames and down the way she needed them to start running- fast.

Lahar flinched, his eyes growing wide as he caught her eyes and her sharp order. Hora hissed, hearing the sound of Neveleous getting closer, the shaking of the floor getting worse, the wind getting harsher even despite her Spell trying it's best to block most of it.

" _Now!"_ She yelled, her tone harsher and more urgent by the second. Lahar and his men didn't budge, stunned and scared, and unsure as they looked between Hora, the Demon, and their Captain. Hora growled, her eyes flashing as she huffed- her hand flicking up in their direction as a wash of fire sprung through the air toward them, making them jump back, startled and taken by utter shock that she had thrown any sort of Magic their way.

" _Run!_ I don't need you getting caught up in this, this place is about to be a warzone!" Hora snapped, her tone becoming one of utter fury, "Fucking listen to me and _leave!!"_

The North Wind Mages started running immediately,

"Let's go!!"

"Arrest us if you have to, just get us away from here!!"

"If we don't leave, t-that Demon will kill us!!"

Lahar's eyes snapped away from her toward the retreating North Wind Mages, grimacing as he quickly ordered his men to follow them.

"Full retreat! Quickly!"

"Take him with you!" Hora snapped curtly, her eyes flicking away from Lahar toward Doranbolt, who jumped slightly at her suddenly addressing him. Hora's head flicked in the direction of Eider, still knocked senseless in the pile of rubble. Doranbolt blinked, sweatdropping slightly as he hesitated, before hissing under his breath.

"You've gotta be freaking crazy..." Doranbolt grumbled under his breath, stooping to pull Eider's arm over his shoulder, before he disappeared in a sudden haze. Hora blinked, a little surprised at a show of Magic she hadn't realized the man could utilize at all.

Lahar and the rest of the people in the corridor were gone just as quickly, the sound of their feet fading down the hallway as Hora shook her head at herself. 

Neveleous was still moving toward her, faster now, more angry- the earth shaking all around at the sheer weight of it's feet hitting the ground. She could feel it's Magic Pressure rising-

"You still want us to slam the door shut?"

Hora stiffened, her eyes widening as her head snapped left at the sudden voice.

Doranbolt appeared beside her again out of nowhere, his eyes narrowed and tense as she hissed under her breath.

"... Teleportation Magic, huh?" She grumbled, he grimaced slightly.

"That's not an answer." He grumbled,

"And I told you to leave, didn't I?" Hora replied shortly, before grumbling hotly under her breath. "Tch... I haven't lost yet, have I? Will it kill you to be a little optimistic?"

"It might kill you." He shot back, Hora sighed.

"I'm not going to die, I'm not going to lose.... I can't. It's not an option." Hora grumbled, "And you need to go, even with Teleportation Magic, I don't wanna have to worry if you're in the line of fire." He sweatdropped slightly, his eyes narrowing.

There it was again, that semblance of care in concern in her. A Wizard from SaberTooth, a Guild full of the ruthless, the harsh- and yet she seemed nothing like that, and it had him reeling.

"Besides, you should probably keep an eye on the rest of your people." Hora mumbled, her eyes flashing slightly. "Get everyone out, round up the rest of North Wind. Leave this to me, alright?"

"... tch.... you really are insane, aren't you?" Doranbolt growled, Hora laughed- just once. It was such an odd sound in all the bad and the massive, severely pissed off Demon of Zeref getting closer by the second.

"Maybe a little." Hora sighed, her head flicking toward the exit. "Now _go."_

He looked like he hated himself, just for a split second there, before he disappeared entirely.

_Alone again_

_'Forgetting someone, Horatia?'_

She hummed a little, smiling sadly.

"Of course not... but you know it's not the same. It's not like you're any help other than moral support, Lixue. Not when you're still locked up." Hora mumbled, ".....after this, things are changing... they _have_ changed. And I think... I'm going to try and change that, too."

 _'Confidence again, hmm?'_ Lixue hummed, _'..... you_ ** _have_** _changed, and in so little time.'_

"Hell yeah, and it's time to win this." Hora growled, her fists clenching at her sides as her Magic flared up around her, wild, hot, blazing.

_'Just remember to keep your head, this will not be an easy fight.'_

"Right!"

* * *

 

"C-Come on...! Hora...please answer the card!" Rogue snapped, his voice shaking more than he wanted- but he couldn't stop it either. He could feel Sting, Lector and Frosch trembling beside him- all their eyes trained to the Magic Calling Card that kept ringing-

.. but it never picked up, it just kept ringing, and Hora never picked up the other end.

The fear settled in deeper, the feeling of terror that had lead them to hastily bring the Card out and call her was just getting worse- and they felt their hearts sinking by the second.

Something... something went _wrong,_ they could feel it...

Yukino, Orga and Rufus stood behind them, stiff and silent. Their eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily as they watched the four in front of them crumbling faster by the second, their hearts ripped apart every second the other end of the Card never picked up.

"H-Hora!"

* * *

 

__One Hour Prior-_ _

"F-Fuck..!"

Hora yelped, her body slamming backward into the rocky wall hard enough to shatter it, her body shaking and lungs heaving as her trembling arms fell back to her sides, cut every which way, spattering blood against the stone as she winced harshly.

_'Move!'_

Hora stiffened, her head snapping up as the air shook with a high piercing sound so painful to hear she winced again. Lixue's voice was near downed out by the sound, but she moved anyway- her feet pushing her left as she hit the ground and rolled, the space she had previously been standing decimated by another Spell thrown her way by a rampaging Demon of Zeref.

Hora coughed, her hand moving to wipe the blood dripping down from her nose, her eyes flashing as she cast a quick glance toward Neveleous again.

She had been reduced to dodging around what remained in ruin of North Wind's Guild Hall, outrunning and maneuvering out of the way of Neveleous' attacks- leaving the rubble iced over and icy cold as they went.

Needless to say, it wasn't going as well as she liked... she was having a hard time just getting close, Neveleous was swinging this way and that, sending Magic every which way and decimating everything in a near blind rage.

And by placing herself between it and reaching outside of this Building, she was in the center of it's sights, and the longer she tried to fight, the angrier she made the Demon, and the harder it was trying to kill her.

She'd managed to get a few more hits in on the legs, enough that Neveleous wasn't moving as fast as it needed- it was limping and leaving huge smears of blood behind as it still stumbled to get hold of her, and tear her apart- or freeze her solid, slice her apart...

She stumbled to her feet, pushing herself forward as Neveleous' head whipped around and those pale, ghostly white eyes locked on to her, it's wings spanning out and sending a flurry of cold, cutting wind everywhere.

A massive Magic Circle appeared in front of Neveleous as it flapped it's wings, once, twice, and than more and more times and harder and harder. Winding up, getting ready-

 _'Strike hard and fast, before the Beast gets a chance to finish preparing that Spell!'_ Lixue snapped, Hora was already moving before he managed to finish the sentence.

"Fire Devil's: Crimson Flame!"

Hora jumped upward, launching herself up and over the top of the Magic Circle as she swung down- a wash of fire racing toward the top of Neveleous' head.

Neveleous screeched, its head lowering as the fire slammed into it hard enough to break free a few dozen spikes protruding from its body.

Hora's feet touched down on top of Neveleous' head for only a split second, before it lurched up underneath her and she pushed backward off of it. She flipped over, index finger's extended on either side of her as her Magic spiraled down her arms, the flames tight and close together almost as if they made a string of bright white.

_"Four strings,_

_Four flames,_

_blaze bright,_

_brilliant white,_

_strike fast,_

_strike harsh,_

_rip through,_

_burn all."_

The streams of condensed white flame split into two streams as they reached the tip of each of her index fingers, looking for a moment more like Sting's Magic than her own for a moment.

Four Magic Circles appeared in air around her and the Demon, the edges burning with white fire as the streams shot off her finger's and crashed into the center of the Magic Circle's with a boom. Hora swept her hands inward in front of her,

"White-Flame Shower!"

The Magic Circle's imploded, spinning twisters of white-hot fire erupting from where they were and spiraling down toward the Demon like jettisons of water. They struck down hard, ripping straight through and melting holes through the leathery center of the Demon's wings- shattering it's Spell and earning screams of pain and rage that shook everything all around.

Hora landed on her feet on the ground, her fists clenching behind her as she let her Magic run free, blazing up around her in a cone as her eyes narrowed to fiery, golden slits.

_Now's my chance, while it's distracted!_

"Fire Devil's!" She snapped, her Magic flaming faster, rising, as she moved, pushing straight upward off a pile of stone and debris.

Hora slammed her fists together in front of her, her eyes locking straight up ahead toward the undersized of Neveleous' jaw as it roared and stomped, it's wings bloody and burning at it's side. Her Magic Pressure was rising just as quickly as the Demon's rage was, and they were both stifling.

Hora's blood was on fire, her heart racing, senses sharp and all energy and strength pouring through her. Her eyes locked upward, on to that weak-spot, with all of her Power pouring into her next attack.

She could feel it, closer, her chance.... chance to end this.

_I just need to make this Spell count!_

Hora's fists pulled apart, before she swung them upward, her flames following her movement, wild and violent as they doubled, tripled in size- spinning into a massive, explosive tornado of blue and gold fire that seemed something out of an insane dream.

"Azure-Gold Storm!!!!!"

Her voice rung out, blurring and mixing with the roar of the tornado of fire that sent hot, prickling heat out all around in droves, the fire ramming straight up into the underside of Neveleous' jaw, burning and drilling a hole straight through it's body as it screamed...,

Hora landed on her feet again, panting as she watched that massive Beast tilt backward, crumbling to the ground as it's life drained away, and she stood at the edge of her work, bleeding and huffing- but alive.

_I won_

She was going back, she'd see them again. She'd be there for the Grand Magic Games, see Sting and Rogue face off against their peers- laugh with them again, talk, smile...

_I'm... I'm going back....!_

Like she'd promised...,

Hora went deathly still, her eyes widening in shock and utter pain as her fall back down toward the fall, and her watching of her Magic running through Neveleous' jaw screeched to a sudden, deadly _halt._

She coughed, her lungs searing with fire as blood spurted past her lips and painted the air around her, her body lurching backward and all time suddenly crashing to a halt on a single moment,

Agony spread through her body, spiraling across every joint, every bone, muscle, tendon and nerve- she smelled her blood heavy on the air and felt the sticky warmth splash against her chest and neck, and immediately spill and fall down her legs and toward the floor still far, far below.

She heard her skin and muscle snap, felt it- her stomach searing so red hot it was cold, the iron taste of her own blood flooded her mouth as she coughed again, gasping as it dripped past her lips and down her chin. She was shaking, suspended in air as one of Neveleous' giant, razor sharp claws plunged itself deep into her stomach. Deep enough to do some serious damage, enough she was losing a lot of blood _instantly_ \- but it had just barely managed not to go deep enough to rip right through her body, and out her back.

Not that it made it any better-

The time that slowed down as the claw plunged into her torso suddenly sped up again, her body lurching backwards as she was thrown away and slammed into the ground, _hard_.

Hora yelped, her body sliding backwards across the ground. The stone caved in where she first hit it, her body skidding painfully across fractured earth and cement and stone and other debris- leaving a long, thick, deep red trail of blood behind in her path to smear over the floor.

She crashed into a halt when she slammed against a mountain of uplifted stone, destruction, and ice, her body curling in on itself as she lays on her side, her arms holding her torso and already drenched in sticky blood that gave no indication of stopping. The black markings that had filled in to cover her completely started to break apart, retreating back to her arms as she coughed again, blood spilling past her lips as she hissed.

 _'H-Horatia...!'_ Lixue sounded so very far away.

Neveleous' was still standing, though it faltered, stumbling as it groaned and screeched- its blood spilling fast from the wound she has torn up through its jaw and out the roof of its head and mouth.

Mortally wounded, the both of she and it... And yet that Beast was still standing.

_S..shit.... I.... I.... W..was.... S..supposed....._

Her vision was dotted black and spinning, her head and mind with it as she felt her energy drain as quickly as her blood was. Spent.

_I..... I...... W...was..... I.... I had...to...._

She stiffened, biting back another cough as she held her stomach tighter, her eyes scrunched closed against the agony.

_....w...win..._

She felt the ground shake underneath her, heard a wall crumble and topple as Neveleous swung around in rage and pain, it's tail striking through stone with ease even in it's sudden weakened state. She shook violently, one arm moving to push herself upward, to try and get back to her feet- try again, but her arm collapsed underneath her and she slammed back into the ground with a painful jolt that made her yelp. She tried again, and ended the same, too weak, too dizzy. All the Energy spent fighting and every little and big wound suddenly catching up with her tenfold, and all at once.

She couldn't move, she hadn't the will to get back up, nor the strength. All her energy and magic poured into that last Spell... and it still hadn't been enough.

_F..Fuck...._

What would happen to them? Once they realized she was gone, and Jiemma knew she had failed?

He'd near killed her for simply 'helping' another Guild... there was so much riding on this Job. The Magic Council had asked for SaberTooth's assistance personally. Jiemma was going to be payed no small amount for this, and he's made it oh so very clear there would be dire consequences if she failed.... she didn't want to fail.

_I don't.... I don't want to die, either... I wa.... want... to go b..back....._

But shit, she couldn't force herself up. And she tried, she willed her body to move, her muscles to listen to her- but they weren't working like she wanted. She was begging her body to move and yet she could hardly breathe properly, and she still lay there in a pool of blood that was slowly getting larger around her- Neveleous screeching and screaming somewhere she couldn't see, and hearing the wind and the Monster tear the Hall to pieces.

Her teeth gritted, her body tensing as she hissed.

_... I.... i.. promised.... I w..would...._

_'...Get up!'_ Lixue snapped, his voice muffled and hard to make out in the haze that was slowly consuming her mind.

 _'You must! You cannot let it end here! Get up you bloody stubborn girl!'_ Lixue yelled, a little louder, a little more annoying. _'You are not done yet! The Beast still lives, and so do you!'_

Hora growled, her hand shaking as it clenched into a fist against the floor, trembling, badly.

 _'Are you really willing to risk the lives and safety of those people you call friend?! Are you willing to lie here and just let yourself lose?!'_ He sounded panicked, though. She could hear the fear in his voice, _'You know what happens if you fail in this! It is not only your life you stand to lose, but their lives as well! Their suffering! Would you really lie here and accept to let that bastard of a man harm them?!'_

Hora's eyes opened slightly, just small chips of dark blue as the floor swum in front of her eyes. She felt her heart lurch painfully, felt fear in herself just the same of Lixue felt fear at what had happened in so short a time.

_'Are you willing to lie here and die, and give him reason to hurt them?! Possibly kill them?!?!'_

Fire sparked off her body weakly, her teeth grinding down on one another as she growled lowly.

_'Are you willing to break your promise to them so easily, Horatia?!?!'_

Hora's fists slammed down against the floor, the stone shattering underneath the hit as the fire blazed brighter, her other hand moving as she struggled to push herself up again, onto her knees.

She coughed again, blood splattering against the stone as she hunched slightly, panting and trembling as her eyes moved upward toward where Neveleous was.

Her eyes flashed gold, the dark blue breaking away again as a sudden wash of sheer fire and anger ignited inside of her.

"t..tch......" She hissed under her breath,

_...n....no._

She pushed herself up a bit more, onto her feet as she swayed, her legs shaking badly-

"No..... No I won't.... not _that_ easy, asshole..!" Hora snapped hoarsely, fire sparking around her, stronger every second her anger set in longer.

Had she mentioned she hated it when Lixue was right?

Because he was, and she couldn't lose so easy. She had to go back, she had to win.... at least she had to rid the world of what evil Neveleous brought into it.

She bit down on her tongue to keep herself from yelling again, hissing as her hand fell away from holding what hole had been ripped through her stomach.

"...... shit......... I'm not sure I have another Spell in me.. to finish this..." Hora coughed slightly, growling again. "... tch.... but I have to try, right?"

Lixue didn't answer,

Hora lift her arms up on either side of her, ignoring the drip of her blood onto the floor and the ever worsening lightheadedness. Her eyes locked straight ahead, forcing her Magic to flare brighter, the Markings swirling down her arms and legs again.

_Legs, Wings, Under the jaw........ none of those did the job, but right there might...._

She could see it, her eyes picking part a new spot, a new weak point that she'd managed to create.

Where her Magic had burned a hole though the Demon's mouth, it had split the leathery skin on the Demon's forehead, leaving it weak. The one spot she might be able to land her last, final blow... a blow harsh enough to maybe finish this.

Hora stumbled slightly, her legs shaking so much she swayed, and catching herself in time to keep from hitting the floor again. Pain seared upward from her stomach, wrapping tight around her chest and making it harder to breathe-

..... enough to finish this, before she really couldn't move anymore.

Blood dripped off her fingers as she held her hands out on either side of her, fire spiraling up around her arms and up from the floor, the red-orange slowly turning into golden-blue.

She had to finish the Demon, at least..... win this, even if-

She forced her feet to move, forced herself forward at breakneck pace regardless of the sheer agony that raced though her body at the movement. The ice covering the floor hissed and liquefied as she passed,

_Slay the Demon, even if I might not..._

She slammed her feet down, pushing herself upward and onto a protruding boulder, before jumping up to something higher. Neveleous didn't see her coming, she was pretty sure it couldn't anymore-

\- she saw their smiling faces, the way their faces lit up when they saw her. The tenderness in their eyes when they talked, the way her heart felt warmer when she was near them-

\- she saw them lying on the floor, their skin bruised, bloody, cut. Saw the fear and pain in their eyes as Jiemma stood over top of them, his face dark in rage and fury-

Her Fire blazed brighter, her anger flaring, and her resolve with it.

She couldn't let him touch them!

"Fire Devil's-"

Not again! Not because of _her!_

_I will not lose to a god damned Demon! Not when it would cost them!_

"Hell's Blade!!"

Hora's hands clapped together in front of her, a giant sword composed of wild, blazing gold and blue flame, before she swung the sword back, pushing off the wall and launching herself toward Neveleous.

She swung the blade forward, her body on fire and alight in so much pain it was blinding- but she didn't care. She hated this Spell, it took so much Power and concentration to cast- but again, she didn't care. This Spell was deadly as deadly could get, regardless of the cost- and at this point, she had to do whatever it took.

Neveleous screamed as the blade plunged straight through the center of the Demon's forehead. The air shook violently in the sheer force of power that spiraled all around from the Spell, sending debris flying as Neveleous reared upward.

The sword fell away between her hands, the Flame dying as the world before her eyes blurred and darkened to the point she couldn't hardly see anything anymore. Every single shred of Magic she had left faded into nothing, every second of strength- gone.

She thought she heard Lixue yell something, but she couldn't hear him.

Neveleous roared, a strangled, gurgled cry- before it fell back, and the win seemed to push out like a small explosion. Everything froze over, the air chill on her already stinging lungs. What Magic had created that Beast was cut through by her Magic, imploding it and sending a wave of Magic out all around- gripping everything in a near deathly cold.

The Demon crumbled onto the ground, it's body losing color as it's life faded fast. It lay still and unmoving as the ice crept over it's body, trapping it in silence.

Hora tried to land on her feet, but she only slammed into the ground the second after trying. She slid a little over the ice, before coming to a halt as silence rained down over the Guild Hall that had been gripped in utter chaos for so long.

She coughed again, the world a wash of grey and darker grey, hardly able to keep her eyes open as she came to a halt.

Something fluttered down through the air in front of her among the soft snowfall that had encased the building, before hitting the ice a few paces in front of her, and too far to reach- not that she could move her arm to try and grab it anyway. Her body just... wasn't working any longer.

_... heh... I..... I w-won...._

She felt something warm fall down her cheek, salty liquid that splashed against the ice where she let her head lay.

_..... t...tch... but..... I-i......_

There was the dim glow of red that seemed to bleed into the grey and the pale... blue.

_...... f..figures.... I... i.....i've.... lost t-too.... m...much.... blood......_

Her eyes fell closed, the silence deafening on her ears as her consciousness started to slip away- pain and cold mixed with something rueful.

_.....o...of cour..se........ I... i.......d...id......_

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom. She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin.

She was suffocating.....

The bell chimed nearly painfully loud in the silence that seemed to engulf that icy, blood-ridden site of destruction, its tenor ringing off stone and snow and ice and water alike,

The words 'Idiots Calling' were slowly disappearing under the sticky crimson dripping down over and staining the cards face, the Call left untouched as it continued to ring, the puddle of scarlet liquid grew until the card was becoming submerged in it.

Everything was utterly quiet, the only thing that rung from the ice was the chime of the Card....

No one heard Lixue's voice calling one word, one name.

_'....h..... Hor.....atia.....!'_

_She_ couldn't hear Lixue anymore, not his voice... Not how terrified he sounded.

Her body wouldn't move anymore. She willed her hand to move toward the Card, but it didn't work.

It remained where it had fallen, her body limp, never catching hold of the one thing that would let her see the people she fought so hard for. Her bloody fingers just inches short,

Everything was just numb..... Empty.

The card-face went black, the chiming of the bell cutting off to sheer silence, drowning now in the sticky scarlet pool of blood.

Nothing stirred, no noise, no sound... Everything was deathly still.

_Can a Devil Slayer be slain by a Demon twice....?_

_I.... I was supposed... To go back....._

_.... i....... i'm..... s...o........s....orr....y_

* * *

 

_'...y..... ou're.......... bl........eeding........o...ut....!'_

_'...... w..... ake........ u...p....!'_

_'........ a....... y.....ou...... c...................an't.......... j............us...t..... die....!'_

The numbness receded, just a little....

_'..... y....ou..................ha..........ve....... to.......!'_

_'....... be.....fore....... you.....!'_

There was a small little light, somewhere there in the deep, empty black.... something chilly blue. The silence breaking, just a little....

_'...... you.... h....ave...... to...... try.....!'_

She groaned, her head whirling, her body felt like it was bobbing up and down in the ocean. Back and forth, drowning...

_'...... if... you.... l....ose...... anymore...... blood....!'_

_'..... you will... die!'_

Her eyes fluttered open weakly, her breath a haze in front of her.

"....l.....Lix...ue..." She breathed,

 _'....... you can't lose anymore blood, Horatia..!'_ Lixue's voice was getting louder, harsher on her ears. _'... those Magic Council men.... they must be looking for you...!'_

The ice was red

_'... you cannot bleed to death before they find you! You have to stay awake!'_

Her eyes dropped again, her breath shuddering.

"... I.. I can't...." She stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper. She trailed off tough, her eyes opening just a little more.

"...... f...fuck..... o... of c...ourse....i...if. I......"

_'Horatia-'_

".....I... i h...ave...t-to......."

_'.... y-you...!?'_

Light bounced off the blood-soaked ice, the air filling with the scent of burn and blood and salt.

She _screamed,_ her voice echoing off the ice and the stone, the shrill sound carrying through the deadly silent halls.


	17. Silence

**Chapter 1** **7**

**Silence**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

_She felt cold and hot all at once, her body shaking without her consent. Her head was in a haze and her eyelids felt heavier than she could ever remember them being. She shuddered involuntarily, her breath catching in her throat as she coughed faintly._

_The room was dim around her, and stagnant. She could scarcely see the ceiling above her, if not for the small, faint sliver of light that managed to make it past the edge of the curtains._ _She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she had. She'd been moving in and out of wakefulness for hours, flitting between feverish reality and swirling, nonsensical dreams._

_She felt something squeeze around her fingers gently, her eyes trailing sideways from the roof toward that young little boy at the bedside._

_Brother...._

_He was fast asleep, his head resting in his crossed arms on the bedtop- one hand extended just slightly so he could keep holding her hand in his. His fingers twined between hers and limp in his sleeping, yet they still kept locked together._

_She blinked, her eyes falling halfway as the haze lifted just enough- she remembered waking up earlier too, and remembered hearing his voice mixed with that of their parents._

_"..b-but... I wanna help..."_

_".... Love, the only thing we can do is let her sleep."_

_"... Once she rests, the fever will pass and she will be alright.."_

_".... I...."_

_"..hmm, I know you want to help her feel better, love....." That was her mother's voice, she sounded sympathetic, and warm._

_".... You know what? Sit with her, keep her company. I'm sure that will help her feel better." And that was her Father, a bit louder, but no less warm._

_"..y-yeah!" Her brother sounded a little happier with that, he liked that idea- mostly because then, he would be doing something. "... I-i can tell her a story, if she wants...! Or just stick around, so she's not all alone when she's sleeping..!"_

_"Great idea." Mother and Father said all in unison._

_Her mind was slipping back into the deep, dark depths again as she heard feet move down the hallway outside the door._

_She must have fallen asleep before he made it inside, but he'd stayed anyway..._

_She squeezed his hand back faintly, sighing as her eyes fell closed again._

_It felt nice, his hand in hers, after so, so long....._

_She coughed again, her eyes snapping shut when a sudden wash of pain ignited in her core where it hadn't been seconds before._

_Her hand held tight to his hand- only to find it wasn't there anymore. He wasn't, none of it was- not the bed, not the room, not the warmth nor the familiarity._

_She was floating in a chilly sea, the water gripping and cold as she saw her blood stain the water darker around her- her stomach a gaping hole and agony racing though every inch of her being._ _The silence was crushing, even her own voice as she yelled at the pain was muffled and muted and silent on her own ears. She couldn't make a sound,_

_W-what the...hell....?!_

_What happened?! Why couldn't she remem... Wait,_

_North Wind, Neveleous...... She'd been lying there, bleeding to death among the ice, alone.._

_And I.... I had to...._

_She felt her heart sink,_

_..... Did.... Did I die....?_

_Is that was this is? Death?_

_B-but I....!_

_'You are not dead.'_

_Hora stiffened, the water and the sea suddenly gone as her feet hit solid ground. She shivered, her breathing slowing down as her eyes dropped to her torso- the hole in her stomach was gone, but the pain wasn't._

_"Lixue?" She asked instantly, her voice suddenly back too. She glanced around the dreary grey world bereft of anything but herself._

_'You came very close, of course... But somehow, even in your foolishness- you are still alive.' Lixue's voice was floating all around her in the emptiness, Hora sweatdropped. '..... What a rash little girl you are sometimes, you could very well of simply killed yourself from the shock, you know.'_

_"... But it worked, right?" Hora grumbled, "... According to you, I am still alive.... And I did win, right? Neveleous is dead.... I slayed the Demon."_

_'..... Hmmph, yes.' Lixue grumbled, '... You did what Arden failed to do... And you lived through it, without letting yourself be consumed by darkness.'_

_".... Would it kill you, to say 'good job' ?" She sighed, he sighed back._

_'..... Fine. Good job.' He sighed, '...... But in the future, Horatia... Perhaps we could avoid near-death situations such as this.... We've run into much too many of them lately.'_

_"... Yeah..." Hora mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck slightly, before wincing when her stomach flared bright in pain again._

_Her head snapped upward at the sound of a bell chiming, her eyes glinting as she paused..... Why does that sound familiar?_

_Her eyes went wide, her body growing rigid as a flash of panic hit her straight on._

_Isn't... Isn't that my Calling Card?!_

_Hora's hands fell atop her head as she hissed,_

_..... Did.... Didn't they try and call me... Back in North Wind...?!_

_"S-shit!!"_

* * *

 

She lurched upward in panic and confusion, her breathing jagged and uneven as she looked around wildly- mind racing and having such an utterly hard time coming to terms with what the _hell_ was going on.

Hora yelped, her eyes snapping shut as she doubled over, her arms hooking around her body as pain surged upward from her stomach and through the rest of her like a fire. Her head spun from the sudden exertion, sweatdropping heavily as she stayed utterly still, hunched over and hardly daring to breathe as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself quiet.

_O-owww.. owww........_

"M-Miss....?!"

Her eyes opened to harsh sunlight, her head snapping upward at the shaky voice she didn't quite recognize, her eyes scanning the near empty room with it's white walls, tile floors, empty, clean beds and a shut door- all the way over toward a very stunned and jumpy looking young man in soldiers' clothing. His green eyes glinted feverishly as she stood at the bedside, looking entirely unsure of himself and seeming to have jumped upward from the chair he had previously been sitting in when she lurched upward.

"A-Are you alright?! You sh-shouldn't be moving, o-or sitting up like that..!" He stammered, Hora blinked.

_This... this looks like a... hospital... and he's..._

Her eyes dropped, seeing underneath the loose shirt she now had, her stomach was wrapped in bandages, similar lengths of them covering wounds on her arms and legs- she could feel and slightly see some bandages wrapped around her nose and cheeks.

Hora stiffened, rounding on the young man now as he jumped.

"How long have I been out?!" Hora snapped, her voice full of urgency as Ira recoiled, looking terrified and very out of his depth.

"E-Eh..?!"

"Ira, how _long_ have I been asleep?!" She asked again, he stiffened.

"O-oh, ah.. about a week.. M-miss...." He stumbled to answer, Hora felt her heart drop.

_A WEEK?!_

"Crap! Crap, crap, _crap!"_ She hissed, "Did you find my Card?!"

"C-Card...?" He stammered, eyes wide and glittering.

"Calling Card! I had it with me!" Ira blinked, sweatdropping a little more.

"O-oh.. ah, yes.... but..." He mumbled, turning slightly as he picked something up off the nightstand by the bed, and hesitantly held it out toward her. Hora halted, her eyes widening as she reached forward- taking the Calling Card from him and swallowing.

It was stiff, drenched in scarlet and the Card Face black and dead... she couldn't feel any Magic come from it as she touched it, it was _broken_ and she hissed.

What if they were still trying to call her? Would the Call read as unable to connect to her Card, or would it just keep ringing? She honestly hadn't a clue- and either way it wasn't good. They tried to call her, she had heard it ringing- and she had never answered. It had been a _weeeeeeeekkkk!!!!_

She winced, her eyes snapping shut as one hand moved to hold her stomach when it flashed bright in pain again. Ira flinched slightly, his hands reaching toward her uncertainly.

"..... w-when we found you.... you'd lost so much blood..." He mumbled nervously, ".... y-you are seriously injured, even though you did your best... to... y-you know......." He trailed off, Hora sweatdropped.

'brash fool' as Lixue put it.... Hora remembered that part well enough.

"........ c-close the wound..... keep it from bleeding any more... by.... b-burning it.... closed..." Ira stammered softly, Hora bit the inside of her cheek.

Yes, she remembered the smell of her own flesh burning... maybe a bit of an extreme measure, but she _had_ been bleeding to death.

She hissed, shaking her head, her eyes snapping up from the now useless Card and toward Ira again.

"I need a pen and some paper." She told him shortly, he blinked,

"B-but... Miss, you need to rest...." Ira replied shortly, Hora shook her head.

 _"This first."_ She cut him off with ease, he seemed to deflate a little. "Ira, _please._ "

The young man cast an anxious glance at the closed door, before nodding slightly and twirling his finger in air. Into his palm fell a pen, and into the other fell a clipboard with paper attached to it. He held both toward her, looking exasperated as she took them from him shortly.

The pen scribbled across the paper feverishly, her eyes trained to the words and slow enough only to allow herself to be careful not to make the writing look as frantic as she was feeling in that instant. The words reached the end of the paper, before she folded it up and started on another- fast, yet precise strokes across the paper that formed the visage of the same bird she had drawn oh so many times.

Ira watched her in stiff silence, his eyes flicking from the pen to her on repeat.

Hora set the pen down and lift the paper with the bird up in hand, wincing again at another stab of pain that rammed into her through her stomach, before the burning feel of the Markings started as they began to creep down her arm. Her eyes fell closed, warmth pulsing into her hand as she concentrated on the paper, what little Magic she had left and regained was channeling into the Spell, the paper in her hand suddenly engulfed in light, nearly shimmering gold flame. She noticed Ira watching her, near transfixed as his green eyes reflected the glow of the fire.

The paper was eaten away by the fire, but the flames kept away from the lines of the bird she had drawn- eating everything but the illustrated animal. There was bright yellow-orange flash and suddenly Hora's hand fell away, the illustration puffing up into substance, the wings beating as she now suddenly alive bird flapped in air before Hora, its wings dancing with small flames and embers that refused to eat away its still paper body.

Drills flapped his wings before her, letting out a somewhat strangled, started squawk when he lay eyes on a very tense, bandaged Horatia.

"M-miss...?!" Drille squeaked, flapping his wings faster in nervousness. "Are you alright..?!"

"I'm fine." Hora replied shortly, holding the folded letter up toward the very disturbed little bird. "You need to get this letter to Sting and Rogue,"

Drille blinked, stunned for half a second as Hora's eyes flashed.

_"Double time!"_

Drille jumped, plucking the letter from her hand before speeding off out the window in the blink of an eye. Hora watched him go, her eyes following the small smudge in the sky until it was gone, holding her breath to try and keep herself from wincing- to which her entire torso (stomach in particular) was throbbing _painfully_. She was a little afraid to breathe at all, thinking what pain would follow if she did.

Her eyes snapped away from the window and closed, doubling over slightly as she groaned, taking in a short, shallow breath that she regretted nearly immediately.

_..... Tch.... I really had a number done on me, huh...?_

"M-miss Hora... Are you ok..?!" Ira asked quietly, yet his voice was clearly shaking in concern and nervousness still. Hora nodded stiffly, her eyes glittering as she opened them to glance up toward him again.

"... Yeah.... I'm fine.... Sorry, just give me a minute to get over..." she mumbled,

_... Freaking out, I guess.._

"..... Uh... Do you..... Need me to... Get the doctor....?" He asked hesitantly. Hora shook her head,

"... no. I'm alright.... I apologize, for jumping up like that... And snapping at you." Hora replied softly, "... But maybe..... Tell me what happened?" Ira blinked,

"....You mean... do you not remember...?" He asked,

"I remember Neveleous." she responded quickly, ".. I remember winning, too.... And what I did with.... My wound..... Just not the after bits. Like how I got here?"

"O-oh. Right, well... I tracked you down, using my Magic.... And that ribbon I gave you." Ira started slowly, gesturing toward said ribbon that was tied loosely around her wrist. Hora blinked, her eyes falling to see the ribbon- she hadn't noticed it was there until he pointed it out. "Knight-Captain Lahar, Mr. Doranbolt, and I found you near the Demon, where you... ah.... killed it.." He tapped his index fingers together nervously. "..... you were hurt pretty badly, so we rushed you to the nearest hospital we could find to get help... once the Doctor's patched you up as best they could, Knight-Captain Lahar ordered me to stay here, till you woke up... along with a few of the other Knights." Ira tilted his head toward the door, Hora's eyes flicking over toward that direction.

_..... so... am I under lock and key...?_

"....ah, am I in some sort of trouble..?" Hora asked slowly, Ira sweatdropped a little.

"Uhm.. well, when Knight-Captain Lahar sent the preliminary report of the battle at North Wind to Era, and the Magic Council.. they were.... ah, a little taken aback." He tapped his fingers together a few more times, his eyes flicking away from her all the way and toward the floor. "...... the number of Mages that were apprehended and arrested in one sitting has reached well over the 300 mark. There have been several dozen Magical Artifacts recovered that we had not anticipated to find, and to add atop that; both Eider and the Demon of Zeref were defeated in the span of only a few hours..... and by _one_ Mage." Hora blinked as Ira trailed off a second,

"... Ah... And to add atop it all... There were no casualties on either side, and few injuries as well... The Magic Council is a little... Ah, _stunned_..." Ira mumbled, ".... They're having a hard time wrapping their heads around the idea that this Mission went so smoothly, and in so little time- and they're appalled at the idea that one Mage- ah, uhm.. That _you_ \- took on Eider and Neveleous on your own, won, and lived through it."

".... So the Chairman has ordered you be kept in custody.... so you can testify as to your actions, and your involvement. To explain what happened, and how you managed to win.... Given no one else was around to witness it." He smiled nervously, Hora stared.

"..... So I'm...." She mumbled. "...... under arrest then, for doing my job..?" She grumbled, Ira sweatdropped.

"Ah.... yes. More or less..." He stammered, ".... We had to mention in the Preliminary Report that you were a 'Devil Slayer', and the Magic Council has no record of that Magic. They want to know more about it, as well as questioning you about what went on in North Wind." He smiled slightly, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, but for now you're in the custody of the Magic Council... as soon as you're well enough for it, we'll head to Era and you'll meet with the Magic Council."

Hora sighed, her head falling in her hands as she grumbled under her breath a few minutes.

"..... so I take it no field trips in the meantime..?" She mumbled, her heart sinking as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"... ah.. n-no...? I mean... you're still hurt, M-Miss...... you should try resting, not... ah, running off..."

_I've been asleep for a week.... oh my god.... how many times have they tried to get ahold of me since then? Do they think something's gone wrong? I can't believe I've been..._

Hora's hands covered her face as she hissed, her shoulders hunching slightly.

_.... please hurry Drille..... they need to know I'm not.... shit._

She let herself sink back down into the bed, hands still covering her face as her elbows remained up in the air.

_I'm awful_

".... how long is talking with the Council going to take?" Hora mumbled, Ira blinked. "..... if I've been asleep for a week... that means that the GMG starts pretty soon, right?"

"Uh, yeah... the first day of the Grand Magic Games is in five days." Ira replied softly, "As for how long talking with the Council will be... I'm not sure. This whole business with North Wind is taking longer than anticipated to wrap up." Hora cracked open one eye and glanced sideways toward the younger boy. ".... and you only just woke up, Miss. You should probably wait another day or two before even thinking about traveling to Era."

Hora glanced away, her arms falling on either side of her as she stared up at the roof.

_I have to see them... I need to make it back to Crocus, I said I would be there for the Games...._

Her eyes narrowed slightly,

_......... though..... I don't know..... I almost feel weird.... that I am still alive._

She sighed,

_.... I was determined to live... but I guess even I'm surprised that I didn't end up dead in the end...... huh..._

"Uhm... are you alright, Miss?" Ira asked softly, after hearing Hora sigh for about the fifth time.

"Yeah, I'm ok." She replied softly, "..... I just hope the questioning part doesn't take too long.... I told my friends I would be back in time for the Games...." Hora sat up again, leaning against the headboard with another small sigh.

"..... Have you been here the whole time?" She asked, he blinked, blushing a little.

"Oh, uhm... yes, I have..." He mumbled nervously, ".... Knight-Captain Lahar gave me orders, after all.."

"... and where is he?" She asked,

"I think he's still overseeing excavation and search of the North Wind Guild Hall." Ira replied, "He should be back sometime later, I think, if you were looking to talk with him." Hora blinked, glancing downward toward the red ribbon tied around her wrist.

".... is this thing still set to track me?" Hora asked easily, lifting her hand and gesturing toward it. Ira blinked, looking a little taken aback by the question for a moment.

"... ah... yes..." He said slowly, "..... uhm... Lieutenant Doranbolt told me.... I should keep it with you.... " Hora blinked, eyebrow quirking at the comment.

_Wow, that dude does not trust me all that much, does he?_

She laughed, just once- and hissed when she did so, but kept laughing regardless. She held her stomach lightly, Ira sitting beside the bed and looking entirely taken aback at the sudden change in mood. "..... sneaky little.." Hora chuckled, shaking her head slightly as Ira stared. ".... heh, he's already got me pegged pretty good, huh?"

"Uh.... Miss..?" Ira asked softly, head tilting as Hora cast him a small, sly smirk.

"Well, since you're supposed to keep track of me, I guess that just means I'm gonna have to drag you along." Hora smirked, Ira sweatdropped a little, his head tilting.

"H-huh...?"

"We're gonna do a little jail-breaking, you and I."

* * *

 

"M-Miss Hora.. this is a really bad idea..."

"Tch... It's fine, Ira. You're supposed to keep tabs on me, yeah? You're doing that."

"B-but M-miss... You're still hurt!"

"Trust me, I'm tougher than I look. I'm fine... And quit with the 'Miss' thing. Just call me Hora, or Horatia.. Or even Atia if you want. Just no more 'Miss'."

"..a...ah.... Alright... But...."

"Try not to worry so much. I'm just fine."

_Well, actually walking hurts- but not bad enough to make me stop._

"..... Knight-Captain Lahar is going to kill me..."

"Just tell him you couldn't stop me- I mean you are watching me still. Its not like I've run off and ditched you."

"......."

Hora smiled slightly, casting the look over her shoulder as Ira trailed behind her looking somewhere between scared and worried, and even a little exasperated.

"... Look, I know this isn't what they wanted but I have places to be- people to see." Hora told him, "I have to try and get things moving along as quickly as possible, I've already been asleep a week- I have literally lost any time I thought I had."

He grimaced slightly, looking cross as he looked away from her.

".... _Injured_ in a _hospital_ bed for a week... And now you're walking around not a _hour_ after waking up... That all definitely screams 'fine' and warrants walking around a crime scene when you shouldn't be..." He grumbled hotly, Hora blinked, smirking slightly.

"Oh? You're actually being sarcastic now?" She chuckled, he huffed. "What a change from being so nervous all the time."

She heard him let out a low growl but said nothing otherwise as Hora looked ahead again. She tugged the bottom of her shirt away from her stomach a little, grimacing just slightly as she made her way through the tents and carts and Magic-Mobiles, and of course- Soldiers and Knights too. They looked up and around as Hora moved through them with Ira in tow, eyes wide and surprised as they murmured amongst themselves- gesturing toward them, staring.

Hora's hands moved to subconsciously tug her sleeves down- only to remember that she wasn't wearing a shirt with long sleeves at all. What little clothes she had packed, this shirt was one of the few not destroyed nor blood-soaked- so she'd been forced into wearing it where usually she probably would not have.

_I'll have to take some time to find a store and buy something new... I doubt I'll have time to go home before heading to Crocus for the Games...._

"She's alive then?"

"I had no idea she woke up..."

"... Why's she hanging around here, though?"

"She's supposed to be confined the the Hospital, right..?"

Ira pressed closer, moving from following her to staying at her shoulder as he grimaced slightly, looking less than thrilled as he heard the murmurs start to grow more frequent.

".... Doranbolt is gonna kill me too....." He mumbled, she nudged him with her shoulder a little, shaking her head.

"Don't worry, I'll let him hamper on me instead of you." Hora smirked, "After all, this was my idea- he can't expect you to be able to control me, yeah? I am a big, bad, scary Devil Slayer~"

Ira blinked, smiling slightly in amusement. "You are kinda scary." He mused, Hora chuckled.

"Ouch."

"You said it, not me." Ira shot back, Hora smirked.

"You've gotten suddenly cheeky!"

"Might as well, I'm not gonna be alive much longer once we find Lahar and Doranbolt."

"Ah, it can't be that bad-" Hora hummed, breaking herself off as they reached the huge, heavy stone doors, her eyes catching sight of said men standing together with Lahar looking at a few papers in his hands and Doranbolt looking over his shoulder. "- there they are." Ira deflated, sweatdropping heavily as his head hung a little.

"And so I go to die.."

Hora flicked him lightly across the nose, earning a small half-glare from him. "Oh lighten up!" She smirked, his lips twitched at the edges despite himself. She stepped forward, Ira slowing up a little to follow her as she moved up behind both of them.

"-Once I'm done reviewing the last of the artifacts recovered, we'll head to the Hospital. I'll still need to write up the rest of the report for today and send it to the Chairman." Hora caught Lahar's voice as she started forward, Doranbolt nodded slightly.

"You think she's awake yet?" Doranbolt mumbled,

"She lost a lot of blood, and the amount of Magic Energy she must have spent alone... I'm not surprised she's been unconscious so long, but I do think she should be awake soon. At least I hope so." Lahar answered, shaking his head slightly. "... I will admit I was a bit curious why Master Jiemma only sent one person to assist in this matter, I didn't think much of her before- but she certainly shattered any doubts I had."

"... she still ended up in bad shape though." Doranbolt grumbled, "... she _has_ to be a little crazy to have charged in alone like that, regardless if she won or not. More so seeing she used her own Magic to sear that wound closed-" Hora frowned slightly, shaking her head as she halted right behind the both of them, hip cocking a little as she leaned in and lightly flicked her hand against his back.

"Well tell me how you really feel, why don't you?" She grumbled, her eyes flashing slightly as he stiffened under the gesture- his back rigid as both Doranbolt and Lahar jumped. They whipped around, sucking in air in shock and eyes wide as they jumped back a little, eyes whited-out and jaws dropping as they lay eyes on her.

"W-What?!" Lahar stammered,

"Y-You?!" Doranbolt snapped,

"You're here?!" They both said in unison, Hora nodded stiffly.

"Clearly." She mumbled, shaking her head at the both of them slightly. "Calm down, you didn't need to freak out about it."

"But how..?! Why..?!" Doranbolt snapped, his eyes moving from her toward Ira behind her- who smiled nervously.

"Ira!" Lahar and Doranbolt snapped, Hora stepped sideways to put herself a bit more in front of him.

"Don't yell at him, you told him to babysit me- be happy he came with." Hora grumbled, her hand raising as she waved her wrist and the length of red ribbon meant to track her still tied tightly. "Besides, its not like you can't just find me anyway if I did run off- you put a freakin' leash on me!" They grimaced slightly while Ira blinked in surprise at how quickly she placed herself between them and him.

"Of course we did!" Doranbolt snapped back, looking annoyed now. "You're up and walking around _now_ when you shouldn't be! I knew you'd try and ditch us if you had the chance!"

"Shut up!" Hora snapped back, annoyed too as they suddenly butted heads- where usually she wouldn't have gotten so worked up and into an argument, but to be honest her nerves were on high at the very real fact that she had been passed out for a _week_. "Don't act like you now anything about me!"

"I know you're crazy! And you run around doing insane things!"

"You can't just go around calling people crazy!"

"You said you might be a little insane! Let's not forget the fact you talk to yourself!"

"I do not talk to myself!"

"Yes you do! Everyone heard you!"

They both scowled, their fists clenching and tempers on a sudden high- they almost looked like they were about ready to start fighting. Ira and Lahar jumped, looking frantic and taken aback as they stepped in between both Hora and Doranbolt- Lahar pushing his friend back and Ira struggling to hold Hora back as she growled,

"E-enough, both of you!" Lahar snapped,

"Horatia please!" Ira grumbled, he was shorter than her- and she was stronger, her blue eyes blazing as she glared daggers at Doranbolt and he glared right back.

"You little-!" Hora hissed, a vein ticking on her forehead- her nerves really were on a high if she was getting this annoyed this fast.

 _'Horatia...'_ Lixue mumbled, though he didn't have the conviction in his voice to really sound like he was telling her to cool it.

Ira puffed, struggling as he pushed back against Hora and Lahar did the same with Doranbolt. "What is your deal?!" She hissed,

"What's yours?!" He snapped back,

Ira let out an unhappy sigh, a vein ticking on his forehead as Hora pushed back against him hard enough he stumbled. "Why don't the two of you just get a damned room already?!" The younger boy snapped loudly,

Hora and Doranbolt went still, their eyes whited-out and jaws dropping at the words. There was a split second of silence before both Hora and Doranbolt rounded on Ira, blushing furiously and looking outraged- Ira simply sighed, looking _quite_ done.

"Excuse me?!?!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

Lahar deflated, shaking his head as he sighed heavily- _why?_

"You two are fighting like an old married couple!" Ira grumbled, 

"Shut it!!"

 _"Enough!"_ Lahar ordered sharply, earning Ira, Doranbolt, and Hora's eyes as they stiffened- the latter two looking still rather disgruntled. They huffed, shooting eachother small glares as Lahar pushed himself between the both of them and split them apart. "This is ridiculous! You are both acting like children!"

"He started it." Hora grumbled, Doranbolt growled.

Lahar rounded on her and Hora blinked, _"Regardless,_ you are _not_ supposed to be out of bed! You are injured and you are supposed to be resting! Confining you to that room was not only to ensure you would not move out of our sights, it was also for your own good!" Hora sweatdropped slightly, her eyes narrowing as he halted- his face pulling into a scowl as his jaw clenched, a vein ticking on his forehead.

"You're bleeding!" He snapped, his hand gesturing toward her shirt as she jumped, her attention snapping down to see that shiny crimson was bleeding through her shirt on her stomach. Ira jumped, his eyes widening as all sternness and agitation that had flared inside of him shattered,

"O-oh no, H-Hora..!" He stammered, hands hovering as he started to panic, entirely unsure of what to do-

"...... this was my last clean shirt...!" Hora whined,

"You're worried about your shirt..?!" Doranbolt grumbled,

"I only packed so many! All the other ones are dirty or ruined!"

"I think there's a more pressing issue than your wardrobe!"

Lahar's head tilted back toward the sky, looking utterly defeated as his hands held his head- Ira dodging around like a frantic little rabbit and Hora and Doranbolt arguing (a bit less fervently now) as the four of them stood in front of those massive, gaping doors- and were easily the noisiest thing for miles.

"How has this become my job..?"

* * *

 

"It's nothing serious."

The curtains swished as the doctor pulled them aside, his hands falling into his pockets as his eyes found Ira, Lahar and Doranbolt- all of which has moved towards the wall and had been waiting silently. Hora was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, leaning back slightly with her hands propping her up behind her and looking a little displeased, her eyes watching the Doctor silently as she huffed a little.

"A few stitches pulled, and I've fixed them up with little issue. Overall her health is quite fine, considering the state she arrived in, in the first place." The man went on, nodding toward the Council-Members. He cast a glance back at Hora, who frowned a little. "I would recommend taking a little more time to rest up, however. You seem the resilient sort, but you did get hurt pretty badly regardless."

Hora grumbled under her breath, her eyes moving away from him as she frowned slightly.

_I don't have time...._

The doctor sighed slightly, shaking his head a little before smiling.

"Ah, well. I'm all done, I'll be getting on to the rest of my rounds." he said easily, Lahar nodded.

"Thank you."

"Of course." He left the room with a wave over his shoulder, leaving Hora with Ira, Lahar and Doranbolt as silence settled for a few seconds.

"..... I told you I was fine." Hora grumbled lowly,

"Regardless, you should not have left this room so soon." Lahar grumbled lowly,

"Why would you?" Doranbolt grumbled, Ira bit the inside of his cheek, looking nervous still.

"... I need this done and over with quickly." Hora replied, her voice dropping as Lahar and Doranbolt blinked in surprise. "I wasn't counting on being out for so long, I promised my Guild that I would be back in time for the GMG, and that's only in a few days. If the Chairman of the Magic Council intends to question me, I want to get it over with soon so I don't miss the Games. More so since it'll take a few days to get back to Era and Crocus from all the way out here."

_I've been out for a week and my Calling Card broke... I can't imagine how out of their minds Sting, Rogue, Frosch and Lector have been going all this time...._

Her hands tightened around the bed behind her, her eyes flashing.  "..... I just don't have time to sit around. That's why I don't care about sitting in bed 'resting'- I'm fine, I already said that." Hora grumbled lowly,

".... what's the problem with being a little late?" Doranbolt deadpanned, Hora stiffened. "It's not the end of the world, you'll still make it in time to see the Games- just not all the way through."

"Because I've been gone for three months on some dangerous mission and I haven't called them in a _week!"_ Hora snapped immediately, he flinched a little. "Last they knew, I was close to finding North Wind and Neveleous- can you even imagine what they've been thinking the last week? My Calling Card got wrecked and they have no idea what's going on with me!" She hissed slightly, her jaw clenching. "I sent them a letter the minute I woke up... but I have to see them, _soon._ I can't make them wait any longer, they've probably been worried out of their minds." The men seemed to pause, their eyes flashing.

"..... I understand why you feel the need to rush." Lahar murmured after a little while, "I can't promise you that your meeting with the Council will go any more swiftly than normal, but I can try and speed it along. For today, however- we are still rounding up the last of the artifacts, and won't be leaving for Era until the morning." Hora grimaced slightly, "You can rest for one more night, we will go in the morning, I promise."

She frowned a little more, "... it's going to take forever to get to Era from here."

"Tch... did you already forget?" Doranbolt grumbled lowly, Hora narrowed her eyes at him. "The Council has tools to transport things and people to and from places almost instantaneously. We're far enough out it will take a few trips of Transportation Magic to reach Era, but it won't take more than a day, at most." Hora paused, her eyes widening slightly.

_Wait that's right... he uses Teleportation Magic, doesn't he?_

"So sit still and go to sleep, we'll go in the morning." Doranbolt huffed, his arms crossing over his chest as an edge worked its way into his voice. "And don't forget, if you try and sneak off we will find you- easily." Hora bit the inside of her cheek,

Right, cause she was still leashed.

Hora's eyes flicked sideways toward the window, eyes narrowing as she halted for a minute Drille was still out there, somewhere- meaning the Letter hadn't been delivered yet....

_.... one more night?_

She wouldn't admit it out loud, but her stomach was throbbing pretty badly- the rest of her body wasn't a problem, but where the Demon's claws had plunged into her, and she'd burned it closed herself... it wasn't a pleasant feeling. She was pretty tired, but she was also still very worked up. Her eyes fell closed as she bit down on her cheek hard enough to taste blood,

_I'm so sorry...._

She glanced back at them, nodding stiffly. Her voice was low, and it seemed she had to froce herself to say it at all-

"Fine.."

* * *

 

They heard wings flapping furiously in the silence of the world around them, their thoughts snapped out of dark corners and chasms filled with so much worry and fear they felt sick-

Yukino, Rufus, Orga, Lector and Frosch glanced around the second they heard Sting and Rogue's footsteps halt in the grass behind him. They paused, eyes wide and glittering as they saw the shock dawn on the Dragon Slayer's faces- their shoulders rigid and disbelief showing on their faces- riveted.

A week had gone by and they had tried to call Hora's Calling Card every single day- several times a day. Each time there being no answer and each time fear setting in deeper, their hearts breaking more and more everytime. There had been so much silence between them for that long, none of them knowing what to do, most of them tearing themselves apart on the inside- they felt helpless, and seeing the terror settle in so deeply in the group of Dragon Slayer's and Exceeds alike- that was torture.

They were crumbling and there was nothing they could do to stop it. They didn't talk, they hardly looked at anyone else- they'd pulled in on themselves and they were losing what little will they had left to continue on and toward Crocus- they hadn't even the will to look forward to the Games, or participate in them... because how could they?

Something really bad happened, they felt that so deeply in their hearts- and they knew it had happened to Hora. Something had gone utterly, terribly wrong... and she had gone as silent as they had.

But suddenly, out of nowhere at all- the silence was broken. And their hearts leapt in their chests, nose's twitching and eyes shinning when the scent of fire and embers hit their nose.

Sting and Rogue whipped around back toward the way they had come, starting forward up the hill they had left behind and leaving everyone else behind in stunned surprise- before they followed as quickly as they possibly could.

_It can't be-_

They were stumbling up the hill, the grass torn up under their feet, hearts racing.

_It has to be-_

They were huffing by the time they reached the top, eyes wide and fixed to the sky, searching.

_It-_

"DRILLE!!" Sting and Rogue yelled, their eyes locking onto that small, burning brilliant creature in the indigo sky above them.

They'd jumped up at the same time, their hands reaching out as they both grabbed tight of the poor creature before it had time to understand what was going on- it let out a strangled squawk, it's wings flapping feverishly as it did it's best to stay afloat- to no avail.

Sting, Rogue and Drille smacked into the ground in a tangle of limps, wings and paper- the Dragon Slayers hissing as they bonked their heads against one another but caring little as they picked themselves up, on their hands and knees, leaning over and in toward the small Firebird- eyes wide and frantic.

"What happened?!"

"Is Hora ok?!"

"Why hasn't she been answering?!"

"Drille please!!"

Drille jumped up onto it's feet, looking frantic and rather angry, it's wings flapping and fire sparking off his feathers more brightly as it turned- throwing the letter it had been clutching tightly in it's beak straight at the both of them- smacking Rogue in the face hard enough the contact was audible.

"How dare you snatch me out of the air like that?!" The little bird snapped, Sting and Rogue didn't hear him at all- their hands were fumbling quickly to open up the letter.

Both boys pressed shoulder to shoulder, faces close to one another and one hand each on either side of the letter- their eyes flashing the instant they recognized Hora's handwriting and small whiffs of her scent floated up from the paper.

_'I'm_ _ fine! _ _I am so sorry, my Calling Card got wrecked- I had no idea idea if you guys were trying to call me or not- But I'm fine! I swear, to you I am, I am so so sorry! I'm sorry but I'm not going to write a lot- so I can send Drille out even sooner, you guys have been waiting long enough- please, I didn't mean to worry you for so long, I should have called you before- "_

Whatever was supposed to be written there next had been scribbled out.

_"-no, I'm not getting into it right now. I will tell you_ _ everything _ _when I get back, I'm going to see you soon! I swear I will see you in a few days, I'll meet you in Crocus- I said I would comeback and I am! Please, please, forgive me for going so long without hearing from me! I'm sorry!"_

Their hands on either side of the paper tightened, their jaw's clenching a little as their shoulders hunched.

_"Oh my god, I'm so sorry.... A week, I can't believe it's been a week! I can't imagine what you've been thinking happened- shit. I am really ok, I promise you I'm ok- crap I can't believe I've done this to you guys again..."_

The penstroke trailed away before starting again lower on the paper.

_"... I am so sorry, I can't say it enough. Please, forgive me... and don't worry about me, please. I'll be back safe and sound before you know it! I promise! I'll be there, I'm coming- please just don't freak out, or worry anymore, please... I'll see you soon. I swear to you, I_ _ will. _ _"_

They were shaking, their hands falling as they pressed them against the ground, hissing.

_"- Hora"_

The group of Rufus, Orga, Lector, Yukino and Frosch made it to the top of the hill, panting and frazzled- their eyes immediately landing on the hunched figures of Sting and Rogue on the ground; their heads hanging and the letter held tightly in their hands on the ground between them.

The group stiffened, eyes wide and glittering when they saw the tears falling to the ground, spilling fast passed the Dragon Slayer's eyes, their breaths shaky and their bodies trembling as they sobbed.

"..tch.... she.... she's..." Rogue hissed,

"... H-Hora...." Sting stammered,

Their fangs ground down on eachother, their hearts thrumming in their ears as they continued to cry- small, shaky little smiles growing on their lips. They'd never felt their hearts pounding like this, never felt their stomachs churning, their bodies warm-

Everyone else stiffened, their eyes glistening- those were the first smiles they had seen since....

Sting and Rogue sobbed, their voices shaky and their smiles too- eyes glittering and the tears never stopping.

"..... she's alive..... she's ok.....!"


	18. Fugitive?

****

**Chapter 1** **8**

**Fugitive?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

_You know.... I never realized how much I hated political things._

_This is ridiculous, why is it taking so long? How much paperwork could possibly have to go through for this? I feel like I've been answering the same questions in different forms over and over again...._

She was getting fidgety- well, _more_ fidgety. She hadn't exactly been calm nor still the whole time. The longer things with the Council dragged on the more restless she was getting- the closer to the start of the GMG it was getting.

And the more restless she got, she knew Doranbolt, Lahar and Ira were watching her even more closely- waiting for her to try and bolt, slip away.

_... Oh I'm definitely planning on it if this goes on much longer._

It shouldn't have to be so hard to just explain what went on, they were almost making it so much harder than it needed to be. She could understand some confusion and disbelief at what she'd managed- because _hell_ ; she was surprised herself that she'd actually made it out alive. But even still, she was Sabertooth- and Sabertooth was was still the number one Guild last she checked...

She'd so far been recanting her individual investigation into North Wind the last few months, what she'd seen of their destruction and what she'd seen of their business selling people (all things she had been reporting in on anyway- so this seemed a ridiculous waste of time), and what she'd figured out about the key to their Guild Hall. (Again, hadn't she already reported on this...?!)

_They like going around in circles, I'm convinced._

And then she recanted what she did upon entering North Wind- backing up what portions had been seen by the other Council Knights and then detailing what happened when she was alone. She'd tried her best to be as quick and to the point about it- but no. The Council wanted every little goddamn detail and mostly they wanted to know what her Magic was.

That was a topic she would have rather not touched, and here and there she found herself hating herself for ever having mentioned being a Devil Slayer in the first place. Maybe if she had kept it her little secret she wouldn't be stuck picking apart and explaining the details of the Magic she didn't ever like from the start- and liked telling other people about it even less.

That being said she kept a lot of things to herself still. She'd been skirting around just explaining the bare minimum, and it was working- though even as her retelling of the events dwindled she found more and more papers and documents shoved in her face.

If she wasn't very sure the Council had already contacted Jiemma about all of this, she might have already said screw it and told the Council to stuff it- Of course any misconduct on her part was sure to find it way to Jiemma's ear, and then she would surely have hell to pay. And she wasn't looking to deal with that. Less for her sake and more for how everyone else would react if she got in trouble with that bastard of a man again.

.... Speaking of everyone else.

She'd gotten a letter back, a letter written in hands that had clearly been shaking- the ink smudged in a few places by moisture she smelled salt from. _Tears_.

A letter telling her how happy they were to have gotten her letter- how relieved they were and how much they missed her- and looked forward to seeing her soon. And a letter at the very end, that simply said;

_Thank you_

After all that bolstering and promising she would be a better friend to them, she'd gone and left them sitting in silence and fear for a damned week.... And they said _thank you._

_.... Shit. I'm horrible._

She felt the pull to break loose and run off grow stronger, burning just like her Magic.

_The GMG starts tomorrow._

".. Tch... Hey, cover for me, will you? Please?"

"....h-huh...?!"

* * *

 

Natsu let out a breath, his hands on his hips as he glanced upward at the night sky overhead- dark in contrast with the light and bustle of Crocus around him. His nose filled with the scent of people and food and flowers- of which littered the ground and lined the buildings in droves- a few rings of flowers hung around his neck as his attention turned from Lucy and Happy behind him.

A week and four days ago he'd felt it- that sensation that something had gone wrong, something with Horatia... A week and it still nagged him, and pissed him off too- hating himself for letting her go off in the first place. Worry that had dug a hole in his stomach and settled there with no intention of leaving- not even through training for the Games, or sitting through what agony he, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Juvia and Levy had had to, to try and unlock 'Second Origin'.

He still regretted leaving her- what attempt he made to get rid of the feeling on remembering her promise to come back was short-lived, and weak.

His jaw clenched slightly,

_Something wasn't right, he knew that immediately- and though he didn't know what specifically, he knew in his core that it was because of that SaberTooth Wizard he had left behind, and had had to fight himself every step of the way not to turn right around and go back to._

_He wanted to trust her, wanted to believe in her so badly and though he hated himself for leaving- he forced himself to, because that was what she wanted- but this feeling had him ready to start running, because this feeling was bad._

It had lessened so, since that day... But he still felt it.

He'd hoped maybe, with the Grand Magic Games officially starting tomorrow- he'd run into her, while walking around the city. But the whole day had gone by already and there wasn't any sign of Hora, or anyone in Sabertooth for that matter.

_.... You promised you were coming to the Games, Hora. Don't break it._

He frowned slightly, letting out another breath- before pausing, his nose twitching as something sweet hit his nose, and he didn't think it was the flowers.

"-oh? There's a fight going on over there!"

Natsu's head tilted, his attention snapping to the words in an instant as he smirked.

"All right..!"

"Should they really be fighting?"

"Well, everyone's all wound up.."

Lucy looked up in surprise, her eyes darting toward Natsu when she saw him moving off in the direction of a large crowd rather quickly.

"Natsu, wait!" Lucy called, he didn't give any indication of having heard her- he was already doing his best to push through the crowd of people that had gathered farther up the street. "Idiot..."

Natsu blinked, his ears easily catching the unmistakable sound of someone smashing into the ground with a painful grunt- the crowd around him awash in murmuring and tense words as the people looked on. Natsu was crawling through legs just to get through-

"Hey, aren't they-?"

"No way, it is..!"

"That's Sting and Rogue, the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth!"

Natsu felt his heart jump a little, his ears ringing at the words as he neared the front- and halted, his eyes widening.

The crowd was circled around and left a large clearing in the center- to where two men were standing with two cats, surrounded by people slumped and knocked senseless all around them.

The blonde one of the two boys smirked, his eyes flashing in challenge- the dark haired one at his shoulder neutral-faced and still.

"Heh, anybody else wanna go?" The blonde growled, his arms held out in a gesture for someone to come at him- if anybody dared. Natsu stared, sweatdropping slightly.

_Those two... Are they really...?_

"... Sabertooth..?" He breathed, both boys stiffened, their ears easily catching onto the new voice as their attention moved toward Natsu in an instant- halting for half a second.

"You're.." The blonde mumbled,

".. Natsu Dragneel....?" The other said lowly, Natsu blinked.

"You know who I am?" He asked on instinct, the blonde moved forward a little, his eyes narrowing.

Happy squeezed through the crowd, stumbling before he halted too- his eyes widening when he took sight of the two Exceeds. "Cats?!" He stammered, Lucy sighed as she pushed through too- her eyes falling on Happy in exasperation.

"... They're clearly Exceeds, idiot." She mumbled,

"I'd heard you might be joining the Games, is that true?" The blonde mumbled, stopping in front of Natsu as his hands fell in his pockets. Natsu blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly at the way his voice lowered- but he did recognize it, he'd heard this guy's voice and the other guys too- when Hora called them.

Natsu sweatdropped, immediately noting that neither of the two sounded anything like they had when he had heard Hora talking to them- almost as if they were two different people after all.

The blonde didn't wait for Natsu to answer the question, he leaned down, a shadow passing over his face as his eyes glinted dangerously. "Acnologia... You're a Dragon Slayer who lost to a Dragon." He growled, Natsu stiffened, his jaw clenching slightly. "How can you call yourself a true Dragon Slayer then?"

"Tch...." Natsu hissed, his eyes flashing as he scowled. The blonde leaned back again, his tongues clicking.

"To think I used to look up to you as a Kid." He grumbled, his head tilting toward the other man behind him. "Like you used to look up to Gajeel, huh?"

"I appreciated him as a Dragon Slayer." Was the low reply, Natsu growled.

"Hmm, but I suppose we're true Dragon Slayers, unlike them." The blonde grumbled, "We'd have probably beaten Acnologia."

"That's easy to say when you've never met him." Lucy told them quickly, the blonde tilted his head in her direction, smirking.

"Yeah, that's true!" Happy grumbled hotly,

"Wow, you're clueless~" the red Exceed sighed,

"Fro thinks so too." The other murmured,

"It doesn't matter if we've met him or not." The black-haired one said lowly, his red eyes flashing.

"The fact of the matter is we're on a whole different league than other Dragon Slayers." The blonde smirked, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Let me tell ya something," The red Exceed smirked, shaking his head a little. "People who gain their Dragon Slayer Powers from Dragons- like Natsu here- are First Generation Dragon Slayers. People who are able to use Dragon Slayer Magic from Lacrima inside their bodies are known as Second Generation- like Cobra and Laxus-kun."

Lucy, Happy and Natsu blinked, sweatdropping slightly.

"As for Sting and Rogue though, they're hybrids who not only have Dragon Parents- but also Dragon Lacrima inside their bodies. They're known as Third Generation Dragon Slayers!"

"T-third Generation..?!" Happy and Lucy echoed, Natsu got to his feet.

"Oi! Did you lose contact with your Dragon's in the year X777 too?!" Natsu asked immediately, Sting and Rogue both blinked, looking a little lost for a minute, before Sting smirked slightly,

"Well, not exactly..." He hummed,

"Let me tell you the truth." Rogue murmured, ever straight-faced, but an edge worked it's way into his voice and Natsu blinked. A shadow passed across both Sting and Rogue's faces, their eyes glinting dangerously as they held Natsu in their icy stare.

"To become true Dragon Slayers, we killed the Dragons who taught us Dragon Slaying Magic."

"Y-you killed a Dragon...?!" Lucy stammered, horror dawning on her face.

Happy trembled, "Human beings... killed a Dragon...?" He mumbled,

Natsu's face twisted, rage burning bright in his core as his fangs ground down on one another at the words, "You... you killed your _parents?!"_ He snapped lowly, his voice close to being a snarl as his fists clenched tight at his sides.

And the Bastards didn't even look like they cared, Sting just smirked a little more while Rogue huffed slightly.

"How could you kill the one who raised you?!" Natsu snapped, Sting let out a breath.

"Easy, to gain the Power to surpass all other Dragon Slayers." He replied easily, Natsu growled, taking a step forward. "Killing them was the only way to unlock our true power- something you'll never have. You aren't even powerful enough to kill Dragons- why else did Acnologia beat you?" He laughed, "I'll be sure to show you the power of a true Dragon Slayer if we see one another in the Games, Salamander."

Lucy swallowed, her hands pressing together against her chest- these two... they were like animals- the looks on their faces chilled her to the core and she froze.

_This is what Sabertooth is like...? H... how can they be so different from Horatia...?_

"Tch.." Natsu hissed, his fists shaking as Sting smirked at the sight.

"Let's go, Sting. I'm bored of talking with them." Rogue grumbled,

"Oh, but it looks like Salamander wants to pick a fight." Sting laughed, Rogue blinked, eyes narrowed.

"... tch... how can you be so smug...?!" Natsu snapped lowly,

"Natsu..!" Lucy and Happy called, looking nervous. Natsu just started stalking forward toward Sting and Rogue regardless, fangs bared.

_To kill their parents, and act like it was nothing?! These assholes are asking for a fight! Why are they acting like this?!_

"Whoa there, Salamander. I know these two have a knack for rubbing people the wrong way, but _too much_ fighting before the Games the start, might actually get you disqualified right off the bat."

Natsu halted in an instant, the anger disappearing from his face- Sting and Rogue went stiff, their faces falling slack suddenly as they sucked in sharply. Lector and Frosch bristled, their tails standing straight up- Lucy and Happy jumped slightly too, eyes glittering.

All their heads snapped around, staring with glittering eyes and completely taken aback. They all stiffened, sweatdropping heavily as their eyes landed on her- their hearts dropping and leaping all at once.

_No-_

"And nobody wants that. Everyone's excited to see what Fairy Tail brings to the table this year, after all." She smirked slightly, her eyes glittering as she quirked an eyebrow at the lot of them. Her hand fell on her hip as she cocked it, her head tilting slightly too.

"Best leave the fighting for the actual Games, hmm?" She hummed lightly,

"Who's that?"

"Wait- you see her Guild Mark?"

The crowd that had been getting ready for a fight suddenly halted, their eyes landing on her just like everyone else's did. Her red-hued shirt hanging from her shoulders and sections of dark red, mesh poking up underneath it around her neck and chest, and her upper arms too- a length of red fabric looped around her torso and tied off at her hip, where a belt hung loosely too. Wearing black shorts and long fishnet stockings up to her thighs, and paired with dark combat boots- and all new outfit none of them had ever seen before.

The ones in the crowd directly behind her immediately found the icy blue Guild Mark left visible on her shoulder-blade. A shocked murmur passed among them,

"She's from SaberTooth too!"

Natsu frowned a little, his jaw snapping shut from having fallen open when he found shock and worry hit him square on- his eyes immediately finding what the other Wizards did- the line that cut across her cheeks and her nose, a scar that had not been there the last time any of them had seen her.

"Hora..."

Natsu's eyes snapped away from her when his ears caught onto both Sting and Rogue whispering her name- too low for the crowd to have heard it, but he heard it fine, and he froze.

They looked shocked, utterly shocked- and he saw both worry and happiness ignite inside their eyes in an instant when they saw her. What rude, crass and dangerous feeling they had been giving off was shattered in a single second- and they seemed to be trying very hard not to outwardly react at all, like they were holding themselves back- but Natsu could see it immediately.

They were _overjoyed_ , and concerned too- because that new scar on her was something they hadn't seen either, and they hissed under their breaths, eyes glittering.

They suddenly looked like two different people, just for a split second.

Lucy and Happy smiled, looking ready to move toward her- before they caught themselves. Hora's eyes flicked over toward them both, her hand lifting as she tapped her finger to her lips just once, shaking her head so slightly that the crowd wouldn't have seen her do so- but everyone in the center did. She smiled sadly at the both of them for the smallest half-second, before letting her hand fall back and smirking.

Natsu, Lucy and Happy's eyes narrowed slightly- sweatdropping a little as they frowned.

Natsu had told them what Hora said about SaberTooth keeping up appearances, and how her Guild Master would get angry if it got out they she knew them, or had worked with them at all. They were just as confused about it as Natsu had been- they didn't understand why it would be such a big deal, but Natsu had been serious about it- because he knew Hora really needed them to keep it quiet that they were familiar. They didn't know why she needed that from them, but they'd listen regardless- not that they liked it in that moment though. It was a relief and a shock to see her again, and they had so many questions they wanted to ask- and still they stopped themselves, and stayed quiet.

Hora let out a silent sigh, her eyes flashing as she started forward toward them. She saw Sting, Lector, Frosh and Rogue stiffen again, their eyes glittering as they bit down on their tongues, fidgeting, just a little.

"It's pretty late, ya know." She murmured coolly- but loud enough the crowd could hear, brushing past Natsu as she moved closer toward the SaberTooth Dragon Slayers. She cast him a look, "Guilds are supposed to be back to their assigned Inns by midnight, or suffer the consequences." She smirked, "You might wanna get going, wouldn't wanna risk missing out on the Games, yeah?" She tilted her head in the direction of the street, his eyes narrowing at her slightly.

She looked away from him, turning her back on him as she nudged both Sting and Rogue forward ahead of her- they moved, stiffly, their eyes fixed on her and rigid. Frosch and Lector started forward, sprouting wings and ears folded against their heads as they followed after her quickly, the SaberTooth Mages leaving the Fairy Tail ones behind.

"I look forward to seeing SaberTooth go head to head with Fairy Tail." Hora called back, "We're certainly not gonna make it easy on you." She added in lowly, her voice dropping slightly in challenge- Natsu blinked.

Her hand lift, throwing a nonchalant wave over her shoulder as they moved through the parted crowd.

"See ya~"

Natsu sighed slightly, his eyes flashing when Hora's voice dropped low enough he was the only one who could have heard her out of the other Fairy Tailers, and the crowd.

"... I'll catch you later, Salamander."

* * *

 

"Mmm, alright- looks like we managed to leave everyone behind." Hora hummed, smiling as she turned on her heel toward the four following behind her- the city thinning out as she quickly lead them away from the heart of Crocus and toward the edge of the city, and the road that lead up toward the Inn SaberTooth had been assigned. It was out of the way, and there was no one around- as she had intended of course.

"Sorry to pull you away, but I'd figured you wouldn't mind-"

Hora broke off, her eyes widening as she flinched back a little- too late.

"Hora!!!"

They'd jumped at her all at once, beaming and worried at the same time- their bodies moving and arms thrown open as Hora felt her heart drop into the pits of her stomach.

_Shit-_

Lector and Frosch slammed into her, hugging close to her torso and tails wagging like crazy, burying their noses in her chest- she hissed, feeling them bump into her stomach rather hard and biting down on her tongue.

Rogue and Sting were no better, they threw themselves at her- their arms wrapping tightly around her shoulders and body, their momentum knocking the breath from her as she yelped a little- and they all fell back against the cobbled road with a painful thud in a mess of limbs and bodies. They bent over her, almost laying on top her and pressed close- their warmth against her, arms locked around her, faces pressed into either side of her neck, Hora's back pressed against the ground and only barely catching her head before she slammed it into the ground too.

She honestly couldn't tell where one person ended and one person began- they were twined together tightly and it really didn't feel like they were gonna let her go, maybe ever. They held tight to her as if she was going to slip away from them again, what personal space they usually adopted didn't matter for a damn thing- they were just happy to able to touch her, to hold her.

Hora's jaw clenched, her eyes scrunched closed and fighting the urge to wince- before she halted, her eyes snapping open and the breath catching in her throat.

All four of them, they were shaking- _badly._

A shiver ran up her spine, a drop of something wet splashing against the inside of her neck and against her shoulder- followed quickly by another, and then more- she heard their breathing hitching and their bodies jumping as they _cried._

"H.. Hora..."

".... Y... you're back..."

"..w..we... m-missed you... s-so much...!"

".... w-we've b-been.... s...so... worried...!"

"...we.... w-we thought.... you'd...."

"..... we thought.... you weren't... c...coming.... b-back.... w-when....."

"... b...but you..."

".... y-you're.... here..... a-alive....!"

".... y... you came back..."

Hora's eyes fell closed, shutting tight as she bit back the sting of tears pricking at the edge of her own eyes.

_They are sobbing, holding on to me so tightly... like they're afraid if they let go again, I'll be-_

She hissed, her teeth gritting.

Her arms pulled up from being trapped underneath them, moving as she hooked them around all of them as well as she could manage- pulling them into her tightly as her shoulders hunched a little- her nose burying itself in Rogue's hair.

_All that talk about being a better friend- and I still worried them this much.._

She held them tighter, her hands clenching around their clothes.

".... I'm so sorry.... I'm..."

She sucked in a shaky breath- Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch all felt her shudder underneath them. Hora's eyes shut harder, hissing as she felt the tears manage through, a single, thin trail falling down her cheeks and stinging slightly across the fresh scar over her nose. Her voice dropped away, shaking and hardly a whisper.

".... I'm so sorry..."

They didn't move for a few minutes, they just held one another as Hora sniffed, her tears drying up as she shook her head a little- her arms around the four of them loosening a bit.

For awhile she was content to just lay there, her eyes halfway open as she kept hold on them, waiting for them to calm down. They stopped shaking a few minutes in, and she swallowed.

"..... Hey.... Can you guys maybe.... get off me...?" Hora mumbled quietly, her jaw clenching slightly. Her stomach was throbbing pretty bad from getting knocked into and being held so tightly, ".. not to ruin the moment... or anything... but uh....." She felt them stiffen a little, her hands moving away from them as she sweatdropped.

"... you are kinda.. hurting me... tch..."

They recoiled, scurrying away and off of her and looking frantic, sitting on their heels and sweatdropping heavily.

"C-crap..!"

"Are you ok?!"

"You're hurt..?!"

"A-Atia...?!"

Hora sat up, her hand falling on her stomach as she shifted to sit cross-legged. She nodded, aware that they were leaning in toward her, eyes wide and searching frantically.

"... Yeah, I'm just pretty sore." she mumbled, smiling slightly. "Don't look so freaked out, it's really not that bad. You just took me by surprise, tackling me and all.." They grimaced,

"Sorry." They mumbled,

"But what happened? And what's with that scar on your face? Did you get it fighting North Wind?" Sting asked quickly,

"Did you get wounded badly? Is that why you didn't call us back for a week?" Rogue asked in the next instant, "Is your stomach hurting you a lot? Do you need a doctor?"

"Eh- no, no!" Hora smiled, "I already saw one. You don't need to worry about that, I'm healing up fine." They all grimaced slightly, looking concerned still. "And yeah, I did get this fighting North Wind- why does it look bad?" Hora smirked slightly, "I kinda thought it looked cool."

"... it's not... that's not the point, Hora." Sting mumbled,

"What happened?" Rogue grumbled lowly, his eyes flashing as Hora sighed slightly.

"..... I won." She murmured, they blinked in surprise. ".... in the process I got banged up pretty good, which... yes, that's why I didn't talk to you for a week. I was asleep the whole time, after having fought with North Wind and the Demon of Zeref." Their eyes went round,

"You were hurt that badly you were unconscious a whole week?!" All four asked instantly, she sweatdropped.

"... Yeah.."

"A-Atia..! Should you even be here, running around?!" Lector asked, bristling from head to foot. "You called us only four days ago.."

"Honestly I am ok. Most of my wounds are pretty much healed all the way, I was just exhausted after all of it..... I ended up using a lot of Magic." Hora replied softly, "I didn't mean to leave you guys in the dark for so long, I know you've been worried... I wasn't planning on my Calling Card getting destroyed in the fighting. I really should have called you before going in- the minute I woke up and realized how long I had been out, I sent you that letter." They grimaced slightly, Hora's eyes falling into her lap as she bit the inside of her cheek. "I did all that promising that I was gonna be a better friend to you, and I still ended up worrying you more than you should have... sorry about that."

"Hora, we don't care how much you worried us." Rogue grumbled, "The _only_ thing we do care about is that you're back, that you're alive. All we want is for you to be ok."

"What he said." Sting murmured lowly, "Worry us all you like, as long as you come back and you're ok- nothing else matters."

"Yeah!" Lector purred,

"Fro thinks so too." Frosch mewed, Hora smiled slightly.

".... thanks." She murmured softly.

They all moved in a bit closer, leaning on their hands as their eyes glittered, looking straight at her and absolutely steady. She blinked,

"But you have to tell us everything- everything that happened while you were gone." They all said in unison, Hora's expression softened slightly. She could see tear stains on their cheeks, still.

She reached forward, one hand landing on Rogue's face and the other on Sting's as she gently wiped them away, smiling slightly as they stiffened under the action- a little stunned.

"You four look like a mess." She murmured, her hands pulling away again as she pulled Lector and Frosch closer to do the same with them. She nodded slightly, "I'll tell you, but before that... I'm gonna have to warn you." Hora mumbled, smiling sheepishly as their heads tilted at her. She lift her wrist, gesturing toward the red ribbon tied to it.

"I'm kind of a... heh... fugitive, from the Magic Council.... right now... hehe..."

"....what?!" they snapped, Hora tapped her fingers together nervously.

"... I'm in their custody, pending wrapping up the documentation and questioning about what happened with North Wind... I'm technically not supposed to be here, but... I slipped away, regardless." Hora explained, "I have someone covering for me, but I don't know how long he'll last before someone comes after me. And they'll definitely find me, cause this Ribbon is acting like a tracking device... and I can't get it off, trust me I've tried."

Ira was the one she'd managed to convince to cover for her, while she slipped away to Crocus. He'd been less than thrilled with the idea of course, and quite nervous about it- but he'd agreed regardless. She'd been tucked away in a sitting room up in Era filling in papers, so it wasn't like she was in the middle of a Hearing or anything- and it was easy enough to leave. She was entirely sure Doranbolt would come to check in on her pretty soon, and try as he might- she didn't have high hopes that Ira would keep her disappearance a secret for very long. And given how adamant Doranbolt had thus far been about keeping a close watch on her, she could believe he'd pop in and snatch her in seconds. And lecture her too... she didn't want to argue, they'd been doing that and to be entirely honest it wasn't for any good reason. Sometimes the both of them got along fine and other times they were at each others throats, and that just seemed how it was going to be between them.

She smiled apologetically, "So to be honest with you, I'm not going to be able to stay very long. The way things are going, I'm probably even going to miss the First Day of the GMG... sorry. But I think that's all I'll miss, the political side of the damn thing is annoying- but I can't just drop it and ignore it. And you really shouldn't mention having seen me tonight to Master, lest he get angry.."

They grimaced, looking unhappy- why not? They'd only just got her back and she was telling them she was going to leave- and probably soon. Plus, probably under arrest.

".... I'll tell you everything I can, before I end up having to leave again. And I do apologize for dropping and leaving too, but it won't be that much longer before I can stay for good." She added in brightly, "I promise, I'll be back soon." They nodded stiffly,

"Alright..."

".... is Master around, by the way?" Hora murmured, they shook their heads.

"He won't be in town until tomorrow, he's handling a few things having to do with the Lady's Job." Sting replied,

"... Minerva's not back either?"

"No." Rogue murmured, Hora nodded, letting out a small breath as a glint came into her eye. She smirked slightly,

"You guys hungry?"

* * *

 

"We brought food, anyone interested?" Hora called softly, her feet hitting the floor of the room as she stepped in through the doors of the balcony that Lector brought her up to with ease. Behind her Rogue was set down by Frosch, while Sting was left to climb up himself, and huffed as he hopped off the railing. She held two bags with food in her arms while Rogue held a few more,

The room was lined with five beds, one of which was occupied by Orga who had been humming to himself- Yukino and Rufus looked up from their card game around a table at the sound of her voice- all eyes in the room locking on to her and faces falling slack in utter shock.

"Hey." She smiled, stopping a little away from the doors as Rogue moved past her, handing the bags he held off to Frosch- who immediately moved to put them on the table, with Lector in tow as Hora handed him the bags she held.

"Hora!"

Rufus, Orga and Yukino were on their feet in seconds- Orga being the closest and the fastest as she recoiled, sweatdropping as the large man rushed straight up to her, arms wide open and beaming.

Rogue stiffened, immediately moving to place himself between Hora and Orga- to spare her pain if she got crashed into again- only to end up on the floor himself when Orga knocked him over as if it was nothing. Hora winced at the sound of Rogue hitting the floor, before hissing as Orga stooped and lift her up in his arms, her feet leaving the floor as he squeezed her tight.

"Long time no see!" He beamed, Hora stifled the next wince, smiling slightly at him as he held her with her arms pinned to her sides.

".. h-hey..." She stammered, "G-good to see you too... hehe.."

_OOOWWWW....... twice in one day.....!_

"Are you alright, Rogue-kun?" Frosch asked softly, leaning over the downed Shadow Dragon Slayer who looked somewhere between miffed, and dazed.

"Put her down, idiot!" Sting snapped, Orga blinked, quirking a brow.

"Huh? Why?" He deadpanned, Hora shook her head a little but Sting didn't see or didn't care.

"You're jostling her around when she's hurt!" Sting snapped, Orga stiffened a little, his eyes darting toward the slightly pain, slightly nervous smile on Hora's face, before he quickly, gently placed her back on the ground, his hand patting her head softly as he gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry." He murmured, Hora shook her head.

"It's fine, you didn't know... plus it's not that bad." Hora murmured, he smiled slightly- she heard Sting huff. 

"You're wounded?" Yukino asked instantly, appearing on Orga's left as she reached out toward Hora, her hand brushing against Hora's cheek and jaw as her eyes found the new scar first.

"I see you've earned a new scar." Rufus murmured softly, he stopped on Orga's right, his eyes glittering slightly. "I hope you did not get injured too badly otherwise?" Hora shook her head a little,

"Honestly, none of it's bad." She murmured, sweatdropping slightly. "... at least not anymore. It wasn't so good to start, but I'm fine now."

"What happened?" Yukino asked,

"I was gonna start explaining it over food, actually." Hora smiled, her head tilting toward the table that Lector was setting up. "I figured you guys are pretty interested in what went on too, so I thought I'd explain it all at once." They nodded slightly, Hora clapped her hands softly in front of her. "Alright, then let's settle in."

Yukino stayed close as they all headed over toward the table, Rogue getting to his feet as Orga offered him a hand up with a small smirk- the Shadow Dragon Slayer growled but took the offer anyway. They settled in, sitting crosslegged on the floor as Hora let out a silent sigh, Yukino on her right while Rogue took up a seat on her left, and Sting on Yukino's right. Rufus, Orga, Lector and Frosch settled in too- food getting passed around as Hora started in,

"... First thing's first, I suppose- I should mention that I'm not staying the night, and probably won't be back until after tomorrow." Hora murmured, Yukino stiffened beside her. ".... I'm not technically supposed to be here, I kinda ditched the Magic Council- but they'll be back to bring me to Era sometime tonight."

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Rufus asked,

"Not really, I'm just in their custody while they finish of the reports and documentation of what happened in North Wind." Hora replied, "It's just been taking a long time- I wanted to see you guys before the Games started up so I ditched them. But I will have to go back to finish up."

"... Master will be angry if he finds out you left the Council when you weren't supposed to." Yukino murmured softly,

"He won't find out, I doubt you guys are gonna go telling him." Hora smiled slightly, "... and I'm fairly sure that the Council itself won't realize I ever left."

She really doubted Doranbolt or Ira would tell the Chairman she ran off, and she somehow doubted Lahar would too. But as it was, she had been busy on her own time and not in the direct sight nor interest of the Council for most of the day- so she really wasn't all that worried about it.

"I hope you're right." Rufus murmured, Hora smiled slightly.

"So what went on with North Wind then?" Orga murmured, "I take it they've been dealt with?"

"Yep, the whole Guild, the Guild Master- and the Demon of Zeref, all accounted for and all taken care of." Hora replied, "I took care of the Guild Master, and the Demon of Zeref myself- which is mostly why they've been questioning me so much..."

"You defeated a Demon of Zeref all on your own..?!" Yukino gasped, eyes wide as as Hora nodded.

"Yeah..." She paused, seeing the shock and disbelief on everyone's faces- but mostly Yukino, Orga and Rufus. She glanced left toward Rogue, "..... you did mention to everyone else that I'm a Devil Slayer, right?" He stiffened slightly, his eyes glittering.

"A _what?"_ Rufus, Yukino and Orga asked instantly.

"... tch..... we were so dazed at finding out ourselves... we forgot to mention it." Rogue mumbled lowly,

"Yeah..." Sting mumbled, Hora sighed.

"... alright... this is going to take longer than I thought..." She mumbled, shaking her head slightly.

So she started into recanting the whole of the ordeal, starting with her investigations into the Villages that had been getting burned, the raids. How little she had found and how hard she had been trying to find a way into the Guild Hall that transported itself from place to place. She told them about coming into contact with Lucy, Happy and Natsu- to which Sting and Rogue were very interested in, Yukino too at mention of Lucy. She told them how they had worked together, destroying the hub of North Wind that dealt in human trafficking- and finding the key that eventually lead to getting into North Wind's Guild Hall.

She explained what her Magic was, what it did- what it was meant for. Rufus was most interested here, he seemed intent on remembering everything she said- and mentioning several times how incredible it sounded, and foreign too. Which was something he was unaccustomed to, he knew plenty of Magic and yet Devil Slayer caught him off guard.

In between eating her own food and seeing that most everyone else hardly touched theirs as they listened (with the exception of Orga, no surprise there)- they all listened in tenseness, asking questions where they needed. Shock and surprise and concern plastering their faces and getting worse as she moved to tell them about North Wind, and they fight she faced there.

".... the Guild Master is who gave me this." Hora mumbled, her finger tapping lightly against her nose and the scar there. "... And apart from that, most of my other injuries weren't severe at all." She paused, one of her hands falling lightly on her stomach as her eyes fell closed.

".... The worst one is the one that the Demon gave me, and that's the only one bad enough to have been any real worry." She mumbled,

_Hora went deathly still, her eyes widening in shock and utter pain as her fall back down toward the fall, and her watching of her Magic running through Neveleous' jaw screeched to a sudden, deadly halt._

_She coughed, her lungs searing with fire as blood spurted past her lips and painted the air around her, her body lurching backward and all time suddenly crashing to a halt on a single moment,_

_Agony spread through her body, spiraling across every joint, every bone, muscle, tendon and nerve- she smelled her blood heavy on the air and felt the sticky warmth splash against her chest and neck, and immediately spill and fall down her legs and toward the floor still far, far below._

_She heard her skin and muscle snap, felt it- her stomach searing so red hot it was cold, the iron taste of her own blood flooded her mouth as she coughed again, gasping as it dripped past her lips and down her chin. She was shaking, suspended in air as one of Neveleous' giant, razor sharp claws plunged itself deep into her stomach. Deep enough to do some serious damage, enough she was losing a lot of blood instantly- but it had just barely managed not to go deep enough to rip right through her body, and out her back._

_Not that it made it any better-_

_The time that slowed down as the claw plunged into her torso suddenly sped up again, her body lurching backwards as she was thrown away and slammed into the ground, hard._

"..... It's because of this wound, and how much Magic I ended up using up- that were the reasons I didn't contact anyone for a week... because I was unconscious the whole time." Hora mumbled, her eyes flashing as she sweatdropped at the sudden memory of it, her eyes opened, narrowed and fixed on the table instead of everyone else.

She shook her head slightly, deciding it was best to omit the part of the story where she'd been bleeding to death and saved her own life by burning the wound closed.

".... and after that, I've been busy with Hearings and filling in documents and evidence about what happened in North Wind." Hora murmured, glancing up again with a small smile- her heart clenching at the glistening eyes and the rigid people all around the table as they looked at her in utter stillness and worry. She twined her hands together and set them in her lap. "That's it, that's the whole story of everything that's gone on since I left."

There was a heavy silence that settled in between them as Hora finished, her smile fading slightly when she felt the tenseness get a little worse, her eyes flicking among the people she knew so well and she saw disbelief and distress swirling inside of them as they kept her locked in their gazes- their ears ringing and minds racing at what had been told to them, and just all that had happened while she was gone and alone and so soon after what had happened with Jiemma.

They could scarcely wrap their minds around it, how could she have been through so much? Lived through so much and been back here, smiling and completely at ease despite the very real fact that she had gotten hurt enough to have been unconscious an entire _week._

How could she had left looking so frail and so weak and lived through what ridiculous danger she just described, and come out so fine? They'd always considered Hora a strong Mage, one of the strongest in the Guild maybe- but even this seemed so far beyond the scope of her abilities to them, and they were reeling.

Odd idea as it was, for a small second they looked at her and how she talked to them- told them about her travels and her Magic and the people she met and she seemed different. More open, more giving, confident even... more kind. That same Hora that had been distant at times and reserved, and who glowered under Jiemma's actions but still allowed him to do what he wanted regardless-

.... Something had altered inside of her and they were seeing small snippets of it now, and they weren't sure how any of that could have changed her so much- because of course she didn't tell them what the Fairy Tailers had shown her about being a friend, she didn't tell them what Lixue had admitted to her- and she didn't tell them her sudden conviction to be a different person than her Magic wanted to make her.

"..... Hora...."

Horatia blinked, her attention casting to her right and toward Yukino's soft voice- only to stiffen, jumping slightly in surprise when Yukino moved, her arms hooking around her neck as the pale-haired Celestial Mage held to her tightly yet softly.

"I'm so glad you came back." Yukino mumbled softly, her voice shaking just slightly. Hora hands moved up uncertainly, returning the embrace lightly as her eyes flashed.

"I am very pleased to have you back as well, Horatia." Rufus murmured softly, nodding toward her as he smiled gently.

"It's been too boring without you around, it's good to have ya back with us." Orga told her too, smiling just a little. "Though you're gonna have to brawl with me sometime soon, gotta prove I'm still the strongest Wizard in Saber after all."

Hora chuckled slightly, squeezing Yukino a little with a nod of her head.

"You got it." She replied lightly, ".... and thanks, it's good to be back."

Yukino drew back, smiling softly as Hora felt Rogue's hand fall on her shoulder lightly, his eyes glinting as he smiled at her a little. She blinked at the look, before smirking.

"Now, you guys need to tell me how the Training went!" Hora smirked, her mood lifting slightly. She nudged Yukino playfully, "I've hear you've been wiping the floor with these guys, huh?" The Celestial Mage blushed slightly,

"I-I wouldn't say that..." Yukino stammered,

"Ah, don't be so modest! I've brawled with you before, I definitely believe you had them beat!" Hora chuckled,

"Oi!" Sting and Orga growled,

Rogue crossed his arms about his chest, smiling slightly still as Frosch settled in his lap with a smile too. He watched quietly as Sting leaned over the table, looking agitated at Hora- who only laughed at the reaction.

It was one of the best sounds he had ever heard.

* * *

 

Hora hummed slightly, smiling a bit as she shook her head- she heard footsteps land on the balcony and knew in an instant she had been made. And with only an hour left before the clock struck midnight,

She got to her feet, having been listening to their tales of their Training Days for the last hour and loving every single minute of it. The mood had lightened considerably, and she was so very glad she'd run from Era to come here. She cast them a small smile when they blinked at her suddenly getting up,

".... thanks for the stories, and sharing all the food. But it seems my time is quite up." She explained lightly, seeing Sting and Rogue glance toward the balcony too- they heard the footsteps, and smelled someone unfamiliar- though they were a little unsure why Hora was aware of it so quickly. "It was great hanging out with you guys, I had a lot of fun. I'll be gone tomorrow, and maybe a little bit longer- but I should be back pretty soon." They nodded slightly,

"See you soon, Hora."

"Good luck with the Games, you five." Hora added, "I know you'll do great, but be careful too, yeah?"

"You got it." They promised, she smiled.

"Good."

Rogue and Sting got to their feet, Lector and Frosch getting up too as the two Exceeds flew forward, wrapping their paws and tails around her in a hug.

"Good luck with the Council, Atia." Lector smiled, pulling back as Frosch nodded in agreement.

"We'll already be in first place by the time you come back." Sting smirked,

"I don't doubt it. But no slacking off, the other Guilds are gonna go hard this year." Hora smiled,

"We'll be ready." Rogue told her simply, she smiled.

"Then I'll see you soon." Hora murmured, her hands lifting as she rubbed them against the top of both Dragon Slayer's heads, ruffling their hair as they hissed in annoyance- she took a step back and turned on her heel, waving her hand over her shoulder as she headed toward the balcony.

"See ya~!"

She pulled the balcony doors closed behind her, out of the corner of her eyes immediately catching sight of a rather miffed looking Doranbolt, who scowled when she stepped outside.

"What do you think you're doing..!?" He snapped lowly, she sighed.

"Letting my friends know I'm alright?" She replied shortly, he huffed. "Of which- I'm not quite done." She added, he frowned.

"No, you are not running off anywhere else! Not a damn chance!" He snapped, Hora rolled her eyes.

"How long did it take you to force Ira to tell you where I was?" Hora asked,

"About ten minutes." He huffed hotly, "It's not like that boy is known for being the firmest of souls."

"You didn't handle him too harshly, did you?" Hora grumbled,

"Tch.... no." He grumbled, "But we need to go back, you're lucky the Council's been focused on the Games instead of you- Ira and I are the only ones who know you even left. We need to get back before anyone else or Lahar finds out."

"I told you, I'm not done yet." Hora grumbled, a vein ticked on his forehead.

"I don't care, if Lahar finds out about this-" He snapped, only to break off as Hora suddenly moved and jumped lightly over the edge of the balcony toward the ground two stories down.

"What Lahar doesn't know won't hurt him!" Hora called back easily, he whipped around, his hands on the railing as he leaned over it.

"You're crazy!" He snapped, she waved a hand behind her.

"Lahar's busy getting ready for the Games, right?" Hora called back up to him, "He's not gonna come and check on me today, I have time to kill." He scowled, disappearing from the balcony and appearing beside her in an instant. "... besides, I'm not gonna take that long. If it'll make you happy, I'll stay up all night filling in paperwork to catch up when we get back."

".... tch.... where are you planning on going?" Doranbolt grumbled lowly, Hora blinked in surprise at how quickly his agitation and steadfastness seemed to fade away.

"Whoa- wait, you're not arguing anymore? Just like that?" She asked instantly, he growled.

"Stupid as running off like this is- you're right. Lahar and the rest of the Council Members are busy, Lahar is actually here in Crocus setting things up with the GMG coordinator." Doranbolt grumbled hotly, "If you're so intent on running around this city, I have to keep an eye on you so you don't accidentally run into him- since I doubt you'll just let me grab you and go back to Era."

Hora smirked, "You're right, you try and grab me to Teleport me back to Era- I will burn you." She said simply, he sweatdropped slightly at the very nonchalant threat.

".... tch.... so where are you going?" He grumbled, deciding it best not to snap at the threat nor let the argument flare that surely would if he did.

"Honey Bone Lodge." Hora replied, he visibly stiffened at the name, and her eyes narrowed.

"... that's where Fairy Tail has been assigned, hasn't it?" He asked lowly, she nodded. ".... why on earth would you or anyone from SaberTooth want to go there?" He paused, "You're not planning on starting a fight are you?" He asked quickly,

"No." Hora murmured, "All I want to do is talk to someone. That's it." He gave her something of a deadpan stare,

 _'He doesn't look like he wants to believe you.'_ Lixue intoned for the first time in a very, very long while the last few days. She didn't disagree, but she swore she saw something other than suspicion in the man for a moment- something more like apprehension.

_Weird, he got all tense when I mentioned Fairy Tail...._

Doranbolt glanced away, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he grumbled under his breath for a moment.

"....mmm... fine. You can talk to whoever the hell you want to.. but after that we're headed straight back to Era." He grumbled lowly, Hora smiled slightly.

"Deal."

* * *

 

"Oi, Salamander."

Natsu blinked, his eyes snapping open from where he was laying on one of the bed's in the inn- his arms hooked behind his head and feet crossed- only barely aware of Erza, Gray, Lucy and Happy playing some card game over on the opposite side of the room, chatting. They were trying to pass the time till midnight came around, and he couldn't have been less interested in some stupid games, but now something did have his interest.

He blinked, sweatdropping slightly as he glanced around the room out of sheer instinct- though he knew the owner of that voice was nowhere in the room itself.

"Come up here a minute, yeah? I wanna talk to you before midnight rolls around." The voice went on, loud enough he could hear it though it was still rather faint- his nose twitched as he caught the scent of fire and ash mixed with something cooler- and a scent as familiar as the voice.

He'd hopped out of the bed and onto his feet before she'd finished the sentence, his eyes moving toward the balcony door. He cast one fleeting glance behind him, before easily slipping from the room and hopping up toward the roof.

He huffed a little, pulling himself over the edge of the roof as his eyes landed on Hora- who was leaned over slightly with her hands on her knees and smirking at him. Her head tilted a little, her blue eyes glittering in amusement,

"Sorry to disappear on you earlier," She told him brightly, "But thank you guys for playing it cool in front of that crowd, things would get really complicated if rumor started to spread Fairy Tail had a friend in SaberTooth." She offered him a hand to pull him all the way up, he blinked, before smirking and taking it.

"You came back!" He grinned, their hands held together for a moment as Hora sighed.

"I said I would, didn't I?" She replied easily, he hummed a little- their hands breaking apart as he lightly tapped her nose.

"Yeah, but ya came back with this, huh?" He replied,

"Does it look that bad? Everybody keeps pointing it out," Hora chuckled, he grinned.

"Nah, it looks pretty cool! I'm just surprised to see it, I haven't seen ya in awhile." He replied easily, "I'm gonna be honest- I had the feeling something bad happened to ya about a week ago. I was a little worried you wouldn't make it." Hora blinked at that,

"..... you had a feeling...?" She mumbled, he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck a little.

"Yeah, I don't know how to explain it... I just felt something was wrong." He replied, Hora nodded slightly. "You didn't get too banged up did you? You look pretty fine, but I do smell blood... at least a little."

"I'm fine, just got a little roughed up." Hora replied, patting her stomach just slightly as he blinked. "It's nothing to worry about, I'm pretty tough."

"So, you finish up with those North Wind guys?" He asked, she nodded. ".. and the Demon of Zeref..?" He asked slowly, his eyes flashing as Hora smirked.

"Oh yeah, you kidding? That Demon had nothing on Fiore's only Devil Slayer." She replied lightly, he quirked a brow, smiling just faintly.

"You seem a little different." He chuckled, she blinked- her turn to be caught off guard by the comment.

"Huh?"

He patted his stomach, flashing her a toothy grin. "You act like ya got a fire in your belly!" He smiled, "You're more confident- less worked up and worried. It's nice!" Hora smiled,

"Ah, I'm glad you approve, Flame-Brain." She chuckled, "I guess I get what you're saying... I've not been this at ease in a long while. I guess beating that Demon was the confidence boost I needed."

"That mean you're ready to tell me what's going on with you and you're Guild?" He asked, she blinked several times. "You know those guys earlier, they were acting like such assholes- until _you_ showed up." His hands fell on his hips as he tilted his head to the side a bit. "It looked to me like they were trying really hard not to get all happy when they saw you. I thought they were a bunch of freaking jerks, and then they saw you and they weren't the same- at all." Hora sweatdropped slightly, "And you said SaberTooth can't interact with the other Guilds or you'll get in trouble with your Master too- enough so you warned Happy and Lucy not to say anything earlier."

"I remember what you said before, about the people in SaberTooth being good people- even if they don't seem like it." He mumbled, Hora sweatdropped slightly.

_"...... It... Won't seem like it, when the time comes.... But I know every person in SaberTooth. They are all good people at heart, despite how they act." She broke off, almost like she was choosing her words carefully, it even if she dared say them._

_"...... Everyone outside of my Master, and his daughter..... They are good people.... They just.... Its hard for them to show it." Hora shook her head slightly, sweatdropping. ".... Please just remember that, when the Games come around.... There are only two truly awful people in the Guild, no matter what happens... Near everyone in SaberTooth are good people. I promise." Her hands locked together in front of her nervously, her eyes falling from him as Natsu watched quietly._

_".... Master and Minerva.... Are just....." she mumbled half to herself, before sighing heavily. Her blue gaze moved back up toward him as she settled him with a serious, steady gaze._ _".... Just be careful, alright?" She asked softly, her eyes flashing._

"And I think I kinda get it, a little." He mumbled, "The way it looked like to me... they act differently in front of everyone, than they act when they're alone, right? That way everybody else seems them like their confident and above everyone else?"

".... yeah. That's about exactly it." Hora murmured, "... reputation means a lot to my Guild Master. The whole Guild has to follow his orders on how we portray ourselves to him, and the outside world." She stiffened, looking a little frantic she said that out loud. "B-but don't go spreading that around! Nobody's supposed to know that, everyone's supposed to think we're this big, proud, powerful Guild! A-and we are, but we're also seen as harsh, and ruthless... and oh I need to shut up.... please don't mention any of that to anyone else, please. Master'll be pissed if he hears anything about any of that..." He blinked, his eyes widening when he saw fear pass across her expression.

_Fear_

"..... what is with this Master of yours?" He grumbled, Hora stiffened slightly.

".... I told you... he's an ass..." Hora mumbled,

"Yeah, but every time you say that I can tell you wanna say something else, Hora." He muttered, her eyes dropped away from him.

He was right, of course. There were so many things she'd like to call Jiemma, many of them she already had on her own and in her head- and for good reason. The one very, very central reason she still didn't feel like disclosing to anyone, especially not Sting and Rogue for fear what they might do. And she certainly didn't want to tell Nastu- because he was like them, if he knew he'd get pissed- and she hated to think what would happen to him, and everyone else. She'd resigned herself to just dealing with it, and living with it for so very long... with no hope of ever changing it.

But that 'confidence boost' he seemed to sense in her? And Lixue too?

She wasn't sure she was simply _ok_ with living with it anymore, she wanted to find a way to break free and stop being the Slave she was to that bastard of a man. She wanted a way out, and she wanted to find one.. but she had to do it on her terms. And right now that didn't include telling him or anyone else, at least not yet.

Weirdly enough she had given reason for helping to find Tenrou island as restoring balance, and even getting ready for something she felt was coming- deep down in her core. Something was going to happen, she didn't know what and she didn't know how she knew- but things were changing, and maybe this would be one change. And maybe there were going to be more, she hoped so, at least... and hoped they were good changes.

"....tch..... Salamander. Listen, I'm defending them, no matter what happens- no matter how the SaberTooth Team Acts, and no matter what they do- what any of them in SaberTooth do, I am going to defend them. Because I have to." Hora grumbled, "I'm the only one who doesn't put up face with other people. You'll see that instantly in the Games. But they are good people- regardless of everything. You just don't understand how complicated things are in my Guild, or what we live through everyday being in it." He blinked, Hora's eyes flashed.

"My Master is an _ass_." Hora hissed, "He's ruthless- he doesn't care about people, he cares about Power. But we do what he says, no matter what- we have to. Even if we don't want to- and we'll never say anything if we don't. That's just how it is." She hissed, "His damn Daughter isn't any better, I've never known her to be... but like I said, that's just how it is." He frowned, and she shook her head. "I know it means little to you, saying this. But I promise, I'm going to find a way to change things. Whatever happens, it isn't them. I should have tried to do something a long time ago, but that's on me." She sighed, "You can't get involved in it, even though I know you want to. This is something that has to start with me. You can go ahead and blame everything SaberTooth does on me, got it? I've been apart of this Guild longer than anybody else, and it's my fault it's ended up the way it has- period."

He blinked, his eyes flashing as he stared at her- he was completely lost. What the hell was she talking about? He didn't get it at all!

"I'm going to do my best to fix it, I should have done it a long, long time ago. But I'm going to do it- not you, and not right now." Her hand lift, her thumb pressing against her chest as she settled him with an utterly stony stare. "You said I had a fire in my belly? You're right, and I'm gonna use it as fuel to fix the mess Jiemma's made of my Guild- no matter how long it takes."

His breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening slightly- because he saw rage in her, burning deep down- but he saw fear too, _again._

"If I ever do need help, I'll ask you. That's what friends do, right?" She mumbled, "But friends trust eachother too, and for now you need to trust me to find a way to handle this on my own." She smiled, looking a little nervous and sad all at once. "... unless you have some way of breaking Possession Links, you're not gonna be of much help to me in this situation as it is, sorry."

He stared, _Possession what..?_

Her hand moved, waving slightly as she seemed to push away the subject and the conversation all at once.

"Sorry, I know it pisses you off... secrets and things." She added softly, "But I didn't come here to talk about that, I was just trying to let you know everything went ok. And I look forward to watching the Games, even though I might miss the first two days... and definitely the first."

"... huh? Why..?" He mumbled, mind still reeling slightly- and pissed too, yeah.

"I'm dealing with all the political nonsense about North Wind, and it's taking a seriously long time." Hora murmured, "I'm gonna be stuck up in Era for awhile." He frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing a little.

".... you know I'm not letting this go that easy, right?" He growled,

"I know. You're a very stubborn Dragon Slayer, after all." Hora sighed, "I'm probably more so than you, though. Stubbornness is a specialty of mine." Her eyes moved to the sky above them,

"... it's almost midnight." She mumbled, he blinked, his attention turning away from her toward the room several floors below- where he heard Erza say the exact same words almost at the same instant as the Saber woman.

".. where the hell is Natsu?" Gray grumbled,

"What?! Now both he and Wendy aren't here..?!" Lucy snapped,

"He was here just a bit ago, he can't have gotten far. Maybe he went on a potty break~" Happy mumbled,

"But Wendy hasn't been back at all." Erza grumbled,

"She was with Carla, it's not like her to get lost." Happy mumbled,

"Do you think something's happened to them?" Gray asked lowly,

".... I hope not." Erza murmured, Natsu grimaced slightly- his nose twitching to try and catch trace of Wendy's scent in case she was close by- and finding nothing.

Hora blinked, seeing his suddenly frowning as his ear tilted below them. "Something wrong?" She asked easily, he sweatdropped.

".... Wendy and Carla aren't back yet." He mumbled, Hora's interest perked slightly.

Among what few Members she knew in Fairy Tail- her knowledge was center on the Dragon Slayer's amongst their midst. She knew near no one else- and only actually knew who the Guild Master was, Lucy and Happy of course- and Erza Scarlet (legend in her time, seven years ago..). The Dragon Slayer's she did know- but only their names, and respective Elements.

"... the Sky Dragon Slayer?" Hora mumbled, Wendy at least she knew was the youngest Dragon Slayer- _thirteen or so, I think..?_

"Yeah, and her Partner- but it's weird they ain't back yet. They're usually good about being on time and stuff. " He mumbled, his eyes narrowing as he turned to scan the city. ".... they've been out a long while too..."

Hora glanced up at the moon overhead, her eyes glinting slightly. If Wendy wasn't back by now she likely wouldn't make it before the curfew.... which Natsu and the rest of whoever in Fairy Tail was joining the Games wouldn't be able to leave now to look, either.

Hora cast a quick glance back behind her, wondering faintly where it was Doranbolt disappeared off to- before she shook her head and lift her hand, gold sparking from her palm as she traced a circle in air- and then reached into it- her hand disappearing on the inside as she dug around. Natsu looked back at her, blinking as she started using Magic-

Requip, Hora's own little pocket dimension she rarely used- and only for the purpose of storing extra clothes. Most Wizards worth anything could use this Magic for that one purpose- she had earlier taken the liberty of finding a store to buy some more clothes, replacing the ones she'd brought with her three months ago, and that subsequently got trashed.

Her hand curled around what she was looking for, moving her arm back out and carrying a long, dark brown leather coat with a hood and a high collar- that stopped just above her hips on the bottom as she pulled it on. Natsu blinked at her in question, her hands falling in the pockets as she looked back toward him again.

"I can look for them for awhile." Hora murmured, catching Natsu off guard at the sudden offer out of nowhere. "I can kill a little more time before being dragged off to Era again, so might as well- especially so if you think this isn't normal."

Natsu blinked, before nodding with a smile. "Thanks- Erza just asked Lisanna to look for them, but it'd be good for you to help out too."

"Yep." Hora hummed, "You'd better get back into your room, Salamander. It's nearly midnight now."

"Alright," He hummed, pausing at the edge of the roof, he shot her a small look. "I'm not dropping this so easy, Hora... I'm gonna keep pushing till you help me understand, you know."

"I know." Hora murmured, "Good luck in the Games, Natsu. You'll need it."

"Heh, says you." He smiled slightly, ".... see ya soon, Hora." He called, before jumping down from the roof.

"I'll tell Happy and Luce ya said hi!" He called, before he was gone entirely. Hora smiled slightly, shaking her head.

_.... how stubborn you really are... Natsu.._


	19. Similar Hearts

****

**Chapter 19**

**Similar Hearts**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

"You cannot be cold."

Hora blinked, her head titling back at the sound of Doranbolt's voice as he appeared behind her, looking tense and eyes narrowed. He gestured toward the coat she had put on, her hands still in the pockets as she turned toward him slightly and away from the edge of the roof Natsu had just jumped off.

"What's with the jacket?" He asked lowly,

".... It's not gonna go over well if people see someone from SaberTooth out looking for two Fairy Tail Wizards." Hora replied lowly, his eyes narrowed slightly, looking tense still.

As is what the jacket was for- the hood would hide her face if she needed it, but she put it on more for the fact that it would cover the SaberTooth Guild Emblem on her shoulder- that was very much visible with the shirt she had on.

".... I take it you don't want anyone to know you have friends here in Fairy Tail?" He grumbled,

"Nope."

He grimaced, his eyes flitting away from her and toward the ground. "... you're insane... you're not like how I imagined anyone from SaberTooth to be." Hora sighed slightly,

"Yeah, well I'm not exactly you're normal SaberTooth member, either." She replied lowly, quirking an eyebrow. "... I am curious though, you're not snapping my head off for telling Salamander I was gonna go look for Wendy and Carla. I know you were listening in." He stiffened slightly, seeming to bite the inside of his cheek. "You keep getting tense, when Fairy Tail gets mentioned... so, I take it you know them? Or at least know Wendy and Carla?"

He went rigid, his eyes snapping up toward her and sweatdropping heavily. "W-What do you mean..?!" She blinked once,

"It's the way you're reacting." She murmured, "You stayed far enough away Natsu wouldn't smell you, but close enough to hear what was going on. And now you're hesitating about going back to Era, even though the deal was I only get to talk to Fairy Tail, nothing else after that." He hissed, his eyes narrowing at the floor as his shoulders hunched a little. ".... you're clearly tense about being near them, so what happened between you and them?"

".... tch.... it's..... bad." He grumbled, Hora's head titled. ".... Seven Years ago.... I infiltrated their Guild as a spy.... I was there on Tenrou, with Wendy..... and I left all of Fairy Tail on the island, when Acnologia.... and the Council......" Hora's eyes widened slightly,

".... ok, yeah. That's pretty bad." She said, he flinched at how blunt she was about it. "But you shouldn't be all fidgety about it, I kinda get the feeling they really won't hold it against you."

"... you don't know that." He mumbled, she sighed.

"Well, whatever- I'm going to look for Wendy and Carla, you coming?" She asked simply, he blinked. "You wanna find her, right? You must care at least a little, or you wouldn't still be standing there."

"... why do you want to find them?" He asked lowly, "Natsu didn't have to ask, you offered."

"Wendy's a kid, isn't she?" Hora murmured, her voice dropping slightly, a little softer. He blinked at it, eyes flashing in question. She let out a deep sigh, her eyes falling closed. "... plus, I'm too nice a person for my own good.... so you coming or what?" She mumbled, her eyes falling on the city.

".... how are you planning to find them?" He asked lowly,

"... I can probably guess what Wendy's scent is like, based on what Element she uses for her Magic." Hora murmured quietly, missing the confused look on his face. "... If I can pick up on it, finding her shouldn't be too hard... but it'll probably help to have someone around who actually knows what the both of them look like."

Her blue gaze flashed dimly in the night around them, a bell ringing out loudly over the whole of Crocus as the clock struck midnight- and Hora hardly seemed to care.

"So, let's go, yeah?"

* * *

 

"Attention all contestants participating in this year's Grand Magic Games! Goooood Morning! To narrow down the 113 Guilds in this years Games to a more manageable eight, let's begin the Preliminary Round!"

_Preliminary Round? That's new.... not that I think SaberTooth's gonna have any problem getting through, though._

Hora sighed slightly, her eyes darting away from the Hologram of the Games 'mascot' hanging over the city, her eyes darting to Doranbolt, who nodded stiffly. Hora started forward, her eyes narrowed ahead and hardly caring of whatever else was going on- her nose twitching incessantly.

_I should have asked Natsu if he had any clue where Wendy might have gone, this would be easier if I had...._

"Although the number of Guilds increase and multiply each year; 'the Games have gotten boring now' is all I ever hear! Let's whittle them down I say to you, and give just eight a cheer! The rules for this Preliminary Round are simple;"

Hora skidded to a halt, her eyes widening slightly when she felt the ground tremble under her feet- Doranbolt nearly bumped into her as she stopped so suddenly,

"What?" He asked instantly, before both their eyes snapped upward toward the sight of the Honey Bone Inn suddenly rising up from the ground a few blocks away where they had left it- followed closely by what she guessed were the other Inns. Hora sweatdropped,

_Who the hell had time to rig the inns to do that..?!_

"Now you will be participating in a Race! The finish line is at the Domus Flau Colosseum! Only the first Eight Teams to reach it will move on to the Grand Magic Games!"

Hora's eyes narrowed,

_Wait... did he say there were 113 Guilds here..?! When did that many Guilds even exist..!?_

"You are free to use Magic as you please, there are no restrictions! Remember only the first eight teams pass- and all five Members have to cross the finish line for it to count!"

_... that doesn't bode well for you, Fairy Tail.... not unless you have a Reserve Member sitting around...._

"One more thing;" Hora paused, her eyes moving from the inns toward the Hologram. "We are not responsible for any loss of life inside the Labyrinth."

_The wha-?!_

"... what the hell is that..?!" Hora stammered, her eyes wide as both she and Doranbolt stared up at the _massive_ ball of floating.. buildings?! up in the sky?!

_Scratch that, who does all the effects and planning for this?! The Magic needed to create something like that has to be ridiculous!_

"So! Without further ado, let the Grand Magic Games Preliminary Round; Skylabyrinth- begin!"

"..... this isn't normal..." Doranbolt grumbled, ".... they never do Preliminary Rounds... and they expect to narrow 113 to 8..?!" Hora found herself agreeing,

She shook her head, taking in a deep breath- she didn't find anything that struck her as being close to Wendy's scent- which would likely smell like fresh air, with something sweeter mixed in most Dragon Slayer's like Natsu, Rogue and Sting all had.

She sweatdropped slightly,

Grant you the city smelled like a great many things, and especially the overwhelming scent of flowers. And she was only guessing what Wendy's scent was like too-

 _'... and your nose isn't as sharp as it could be either, Horatia.'_ Lixue intoned, she growled.

"Hey." She snapped lowly, earning Doranbolt's eyes in an instant as he jumped. "Can you transport me to different sections all over the city? My nose should be good up to about a 2-3 mile radius, if we stay in those confines we can narrow down the city faster."

"S-seriously?!" He stammered, "Your Magic increased your senses that much?!"

"Tch... it's usually better, but this should do for now." Hora grumbled, "So, think you can do it? I don't smell anything that could be Wendy around here."

"Y-yeah."

* * *

 

"Is there still no sign of her?" Warren muttered, fingers to his temple and expression fixed on the door of the tavern, eyes narrowed and sweatdropping.

 _"We've looked everywhere, but there's no sign of either Wendy or Carla."_ Lisanna's voice filtered through the Telepathic Link,

 _"We haven't found anything either,"_ Alzack spoke up too.

 _"I'm really starting to worry that something bad's happened to them."_ Max mumbled,

 _"We've looked over the entire city, the only place we haven't checked is the Palace- but they wouldn't let us in."_ Alzack added in,

 _"I heard Carla say she and Wendy were gonna go sightseeing earlier today."_ Happy said, his voice shaking slightly.

 _"Really? Then maybe they are there after all."_ Lisanna said immediately,

 _"But they wouldn't let us in, you think they're gonna let you, Lisanna?"_ Max mumbled,

_"We can only try."_

_"Aye sir!"_

"Alright, keep us updated guys." Warren murmured, his face pulling in worry as his hands fell from his head, he cast Master Makarov a glance from where he, Macao and Wakaba were seated at the bar, all of them looking tense.

The Sun Bar was where most of Fairy Tail was staying for the duration of the Games, and now where the ones in the city and not participating in the Skylabyrinth were- either out looking for their suddenly missing Members or sitting there, waiting.

Master Makarov looked his way, face serious. "They haven't found anything yet?" He asked, Warren shook his head.

"This isn't looking good." Wakaba mumbled,

"We're lucky Elfman was there to join in with Natsu's Team, or they'd already be out of the running for the Games." Macao mumbled, "But it isn't like Wendy or Carla to run off like that.... it does paint a grim picture, the chances they got into some kind of trouble seem pretty high right now."

Master's hands clenched into fists in his lap, his eyes narrowed at the floor as he frowned. "We must keep searching, until they are found." He said lowly, everyone in the room nodded.

"Do you think their disappearance may be a plot to undermine the Guild in the Games?"

Everyone in the room jumped, their heads snapping around and jaws dropping at the soft voice- and the sudden appearance of a blonde girl with green eyes on the bar-top just next to Master.

"M-Master Mavis?!" The Fairy Tailer's stammered,

"W-What are you doing here...?!" Master stammered, sweatdropping heavily as Mavis blinked.

"I came to cheer the Guild on, of course." She replied softly, "But it seems we've hit trouble from the start."

"... t.. that's not quite what I meant... I mean you're a ghost, right?" Master stammered,

"Tenrou Island gets dreadfully boring being alone all the time." Mavis mumbled, pouting slightly. "You shouldn't worry though, only those bearing the Fairy Tail Mark will be able to see me."

"That wasn't really a concern.." Several people mumbled uncertainly,

"None the less, Wendy and Carla are still missing?" Mavis asked, Master nodded stiffly.

"There has been no sign of them, we've had people searching all over the city." He replied, Mavis nodded a little.

"It seems too big a coincidence, one of our Members going missing the eve before the Games." She hummed, her eyes narrowing at the floor. ".... though it'd be a bit hard to guess who would specifically want to harm the Guild's standing, before we know who the other contestants are..." She shook her head, "Regardless, we must find them, and hope they have come to no true harm."

The Fairy Tailers nodded, all of them looking grim.

"Right."

* * *

 

"... you might want to hurry, we aren't technically allowed in here." Doranbolt mumbled, glancing around warily as he let go of Hora's arm- the both of them now standing in a courtyard in the Royal Gardens- after having spent the last hour popping in and out between different streets all around the city. He looked worn now, she could guess he probably wasn't used to using his Magic this much, and this quickly- but she still cast him a slightly disgruntled glare.

"You try hurrying to find the scent of someone you never met in a garden full of flowers." Hora grumbled hotly, he sweatdropped slightly.

"... tch... sorry. Take your time." He sighed, Hora rolled her eyes before letting them fall closed, taking in a deep breath and immediately being confronted with the overwhelming scent of flora and fauna of all kinds. It was enough to make her want to sneeze right off the bat, but she ignored the sensation as she tried her best to pick apart the different plant-scents and find what she had been looking for all over- with no luck.

Despite herself, her stomach was starting to churn uncomfortably- more and more she had the feeling something wasn't right, and she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the Labyrinth floating overhead (to which she had blocked out the sound of the mascot's voice a long while ago).

Hora paused, her head tilting up when she caught the distinct smell of fresh, cool air- not uncommon a smell, given it was night time and they were outside- but her heart jumped when she smelt something sweet and familiar mixed in with it. And beside that smell something like tea....

She sweatdropped, her eyes snapping open as she hissed under her breath. She could smell the bitter tang of sickness too, and her stomach tightened in an instant.

_This doesn't feel right._

"I think I found it." She said quickly, earning a look of shock from him, before he frowned. "It's too hard to pinpoint where it's coming from exactly with all the plants, we should split up and search the garden. It'll go quicker that way." She took a step away from him, "I'll shoot off a flare for you if we need to regroup, ok?"

"Right." He called back, before he turned in the opposite direction and they headed separate ways into the garden. Hora kept her nose keen, and her ears sharp as she moved quickly yet cautiously through the grass, peering between the trees and skirting around hedges and fountains alike.

While they had been popping around the city she'd heard a few people asking around for Wendy and Carla- presumably some other Fairy Tail Members who had by now become aware they were missing. Doranbolt was quick to stay out of their sight, not that she cared about his flightiness-

_.... damn it, but I do care about finding these two. I got worked up real fast about it.... she's just a kid.... and she might..._

Hora forced herself a deep breath,

 _'For someone wary of children, you still instinctively care about keeping them safe.'_ Lixue murmured,

_Yeah, and you know why... I was a kid when my life got turned to shit, Lixue. I don't like the idea of that happening to someone else._

_'Then best find this child quickly.'_

Hora huffed, her steps halting as she passed an adjoining path by- and something caught her eye.

There was a bag lying to the side of the small path, abandoned. Hora turned, moving straight up to it and stooping to pick it up. She brought it to her nose, sniffing at it lightly and smelling the very same thing she had thought to be Wendy's scent- but lacking the smell of sickness. She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes flashing as she glanced up the pathway-

_... I really do not like this..._

She pulled the strap over her head and stood up again, moving slowly down the path again and ears trained instead of her nose.

_... it makes me feel better I don't smell blood.... but...._

She hissed, her jaw clenching. She felt a shiver run up her spine, her eyes darting sideways toward the top of the hedge she was walking along.

_... why do I get the feeling something is watching me....?_

She growled, her eyes moving back ahead of her and closing- she could hear cheering from further in the city, the stuck below watching the Preliminary Race- the breeze, blades of grass moving, insects here and there... the faint sound of Doranbolt walking around, his footsteps too heavy to be anyone but him. There was nothing to indicate nor confirm that feeling of being watched, though the tenseness didn't go away regardless.

She sucked in a sharp breath of air, her eyes snapping open when she caught the sound of faint, shallow breathing- from two different people.

_That's gotta be-_

Her feet had started to move faster without thinking about it, leading her further into the hedges as she locked to the sound- and smelled the scent of sweet, fresh air and tea get stronger than even that of all the surrounding fauna. She whipped around the next corner, turning sharply as the hedge opened up into a small alcove filled with grass and other flowering bushes- she halted, her heart dropping into the pits of her stomach and her eyes growing wide.

There among the plants and almost too hidden to see from the path- was a small, white Exceed and a girl with blue hair- both of them lying among the grass, their breathing shallow and utterly unaware of the world at all, motionless.

".. c.. crap.." Hora breathed, moving forward quickly as she bent down beside the both of them- instantly seeing the blue Emblem of Fairy Tail on the girl's shoulder. That tang of sickness hit harder on her nose, her eyes glittering.

She didn't see any injuries, but the way their breathing stayed shallow and uneven, and even how pale the both of the girl and the Exceed looked didn't make her feel much better- worse so when she realized she couldn't feel any Magic Energy from them at all. Most Wizards had some sort of pressure that she could feel at the back of her mind- more so the stronger the Wizard. But though she actively tried to find that sensation, it wasn't there, and she swallowed.

_.... is that what that sick smell is? If they got drained off all their Magic at once, they could have gotten Magic Deficiency Syndrome..._

Hora shook her head slightly, her hands falling lightly on Wendy's shoulders as she did her best to nudge her awake.

"... hey, Wendy...? Can you hear me, sweetheart..?" Hora murmured softly, her eyes glittering as she heard Wendy's breathing pick up a little, her eyes fluttering open drowsily.

"...nn.... huh...?" She breathed, her face pulling in pain and fear as her arms rose a little, blocking her body and shaking badly. "..n...no.... please.... don't..... hu...rt... me...." Hora swallowed, her eyes flashing.

".... easy, I'm not gonna hurt you, sweetheart....." Hora said, her voice dropping to an incredibly gentle tenor, her hands moving up to gently catch the girl's wrists as she failed to hold them up any longer- her eyes falling too in weakness Hora could see easily. ".... easy, easy..... you're pretty weak right now, try not to strain yourself, alright...?"

Wendy's eyes fluttered again, desperately trying to keep them open and focus on the voice and who it was that was talking- her nose filled with the scent of fire and smoke and something familiar too.

"... N... natsu....san....?" She asked breathlessly, Hora blinked, sweatdropping slightly.

"..... no, sweetheart. Good guess, but I'm not Natsu." Hora replied, "..... my name's Horatia, I'm gonna help you out, you don't need to be scared.... alright...?"

".... C...carla...?" Wendy breathed, Hora blinked, shifting slightly as she moved to gently pick up the Exceed- who didn't come to at all as she was moved.

"... she's right here, don't worry." Hora murmured, "... I'm gonna get you back to your Guild, alright Wendy? Just stay awake for me for a little longer, sweetheart." Wendy nodded, just barely. "I'm gonna have you hold on to your friend here for a minute, can you do that for me..?"

".. y...yes..."

Hora bit the inside of her cheek, gently lowering Carla onto Wendy's chest as her arms moved, shaking as she wrapped them around the Exceed. Hora felt her stomach tie itself into a knot, her hand moving behind Wendy's head and shoulders and the other moving under her legs- slowly, gently lifting the bluenette up into her arms and climbing to her feet, she heard Wendy let out a shaky breath, her body trembling in her hold. Carla settled in against Hora's body and Wendy's stomach, the girl's arms slackening around the Exceed a little.

"..... good job, Wendy... you're doing great." Hora murmured,

_This feeling in my heart.._

"... sweetheart, can you tell me what happened to you..?" Hora asked softly, Wendy's head fell against her shoulder as Hora held her close.

"...i... I.....don't..... re..member...." Was the low, trembling answer, Hora stiffened a little.

_.... the way my hearts picked up at.... the way she's shaking... confused... afraid....._

"... that's alright, sweetheart." Hora murmured, "... just take it easy, you're gonna be ok, you'll be back with your Guild soon, I promise...."

_...... is this what you felt like, Brother....?_

Hora took in a deep breath, feeling the burn of her Magic move down her arm in tandem with the Markings. Her deep blue eyes flashed gold a minute, her breath puffing out as a small, thin trail of fire leapt up into the air over their heads- gleaming against the blue backdrop of the night sky.

_..... the way I want to hold her, keep her from harm.... keep her safe...?_

Hora's eyes fell, the blue returning as she glanced down toward Wendy.

_.... I hate this... caring so much without knowing people at all... strangers.._

_'You are human, however. And you have a good heart, don't forget that.'_

"..... be quiet, Lixue..." Hora mumbled under her breath, her eyes flashing. Wendy's eyes fluttered open again, her mind trying to stave off the empty, swathing black as her gaze matched with the deep blue of the strange woman holding on to her.

 _.... I.... I feel like I've..... seen those eyes... before...._ Her mind fell away into the black as her eyes fell closed too.

Doranbolt appeared in front of her moments after having caught sight of the fire, his eyes widening and his whole body growing stiff as he faced Hora- and saw her holding the unconscious forms of Wendy and Carla in her arms.

"... c.. crap...!" He hissed, his own concern flaring and equal to that he could see in Hora's face. "What happened..?!" He asked quickly, Hora shook her head slightly.

"She said she doesn't remember." Hora murmured quietly, "... but they're both really weak, and I don't sense any Magic Power from them at all.... plus I think I can smell sickness coming from Wendy, at least a little." He grimaced, "... I could be wrong... but she might have Magic Deficiency Syndrome..."

"... tch... that's bad..." He grumbled, his eyes softening slightly as he looked at Wendy.

".... we need to get her back to Fairy Tail, quickly." Hora told him, "Their Guild has their own Doctor right?" He nodded stiffly, "Good, they both need to be seen- and soon."

"..... They won't want to see me." He murmured, Hora frowned slightly. He stepped forward, his hand landing lightly on her shoulder. "... But I'll take us to the tavern the rest of Fairy Tail is staying at, you'll have to go in alone though..... I don't want to start trouble."

".... fine." Hora mumbled, she didn't feel like arguing in that moment at all.

Though, she probably would have preferred he go in on his own- seeing as how she'd be playing a dangerous game if they found out she was from SaberTooth. But her Guild Mark was covered, and she doubted she'd be out in the limelight anytime soon to be recognized as such later on... besides,

_...... this is bad... I'm going to get attached at this rate.... damn me, getting sucked into helping this Guild....._

_..... it's only ever landed me in trouble....._

There was a split second of weightlessness, the gardens of the Palace gone in an instant as she faced the front door of a Tavern, the sign reading 'Sun Bar'- the lights on inside and tucked away in a none-busy section of the city. It was almost quiet, if not for the distant rumble of voices of people all around Crocus watching the Skylabyrinth.

Doranbolt was gone already.

Hora's eyes flicked down when she heard Wendy let out a small hiss, her face tightening in pain. She frowned, her heart clenching.

".... easy, sweetheart... you're nearly there." Hora murmured softly, her feet moving forward toward the door. She shifted, her shoulder pressing against it to push it open- moving inside sideways, before stepping in a few more paces, the door closing shut behind her.

The eyes of three men, one woman, and an old man sitting at the bar found her instantly- their jaws dropping and their faces lighting up in fear and shock all in the instant they lay eyes on the two she held in her arms- a stranger.

"W-Wendy...?! Carla..?!"

"What happened..?!"

"Who the hell are you..?!"

Hora sweatdropped, moving across the floor toward them and ignoring the looks of suspicion she got.

_This is a bad idea.._

"They were both collapsed in the Palace Gardens," Hora told them quickly, stopping when the younger of the three men and the green-haired woman came straight up to her, their eyes wide and looking nearly tearful. ".... they've been drained of Magic Power, and they need to be seen by a Healer, immediately."

"... oh no.." The woman mumbled, gently picking up Carla from Wendy's arms as the man beside her gave Hora a glance, before easily taking Wendy from her arms and into his. He nodded at her slightly, turning to follow the woman that was holding Carla in her arms as they immediately headed off toward one of the back rooms- leaving Hora standing in front of the bar alone, and being held in the stony gaze of the two older men, and the oldest one on the bar countertop.

"I-I'll call Porlyusica right away, Master!" The man holding Wendy called behind him, "And I've told everyone out looking they've been found, too!" He was gone, earning nothing but a silent nod from the Old Man- who gazed at Hora silently, his eyes hard.

"Who the hell are you?" the man with the pipe in his mouth growled,

"And what happened to Wendy and Carla?" the other, his hair purple, asked next. Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"... Wendy told me she doesn't remember what happened to her, and I didn't see anything around when I found them." Hora replied lowly,

"How the hell did you find them? The guards wouldn't let anyone into the Gardens." The second man growled,

".... I snuck in." Hora replied slowly, "...... Look, I'm not trying to start trouble. I realize you have little reason to trust me, or what I say, but the only thing I was concerned about was getting them help." She paused, ".... I got them back, if you'll let me, I'm just going to go."

"Why?" She stiffened, her eyes snapping to the old man- 'Master' apparently, sweatdropping a little more when she met his stony gaze. "We've had our own people looking for well over an hour now, and found nothing. You said you snuck into the Garden and found them, but why were you there in the first place?" Hora grimaced slightly and he quirked an eyebrow, "Don't try and lie, girl. You are right, we have little reason to trust what you say- if you don't want to be treated as suspect then tell me, why were you in the Gardens in the first place?"

Hora's jaw clenched slightly, her shoulder's rigid as she held his stare- but hesitated.

Do I tell him Natsu asked me to go look? But then how do I explain how I know him? And can I trust the Flame-Brain not to blab about me being in SaberTooth the minute he's asked about it later? And even then, is this Old Man gonna let me go at all if I refuse to tell him who I am myself?

He raised an eyebrow at her silence, his face turning more stern as she felt him starting to loom slightly.

"Well?" He growled, Hora bit down on her cheek.

_Can I run? But that'll just make me look guilty, right? And then they'll probably start a manhunt-_

They all jumped, shivers running up Hora's spine as the front door suddenly slammed open behind her.

"Someone found them?! Are they hurt badly?!" That was a woman's voice, sounding out of breath.

"Warren said a lady with orange hair found Carla and Wendy!! Was it-?!"

Hora went rigid, her head snapping around in panic at the voice she recognized instantly, her heart dropping into the pits of her stomach-

_C-CRAP!_

Time slowed down for a split second as she turned in reaction, her eyes locking with the tearful and scared gaze of Happy, his fur sticking on end and panting as if he had raced to get there-

His eyes glinted, filling with tears as they spilled over and he rushed forward like a blue blur- Hora hissed as he slammed straight into her, wailing like a baby as she stumbled back, promptly falling on her ass as he sobbed into her chest.

"H-Hora!! I saw the f-fire in the G-Gardens, and when Warren said someone with orange hair had found W-Wendy and C-Carla unconscious there.. I-i knew it had to be you! N-Natsu told me y-you were going to help look for them! I-I knew it was y-you, you found them Hora!! Y-you found them, and you b-brought them back! Y-you're the best!!" Happy sobbed loudly, holding tight to her as Hora bit down on her tongue- trying her best not to yelp though it was hard with how fast he'd run into her. But immediately her heart felt like it stopped, mind racing and panic setting in on high-

_shiiiiiitttttttt!!! I'm supposed to be keeping a low profile!!!_

"You know her?!" the two men and the young woman that had come in with Happy said all at once, their jaws dropping and utterly confused at what had just happened. 

"...tch.. H-Happy..!" Hora hissed, he sniffed, tears watery still.

"Y-yeah, she's my friend." Happy stammered, "N-Natsu and Lucy and I- we met her when we went on that job... Horatia, she's from-" Hora sucked in a breath, her hands immediately moving to cover his mouth- cutting him off as he blinked up at her in surprise.

".. Happy..! You... you can't." Hora hissed lowly, her eyes glittering like mad as he stared at her. She stiffened a little, her face falling as she shook her head at him. "... I'm sorry... but you need to keep that part a secret for me, ok? I'll get in trouble..."

His eyes flashed, immediately realizing what she meant and nodding- Hora pulled her hands away, looking incredibly nervous as his ears fell back against his head.

"... sorry, Hora... I forgot.." He mumbled, Hora bit the inside of her cheek, shaking her head slightly.

_.... getting sucked into helping this Guild.......... it's only ever landed me in trouble..... please don't let it get me in trouble... not now..._

".... It seems you were looking for them from the start, hmm?"

Hora stiffened, Happy blinking up at her when he felt her tense- his eyes widening slightly.

_Hora.... Looks scared...?_

Her eyes snapped right, immediately aware that the Old Man had gotten down from the bar and stood beside her, hands hooked behind his back and gaze level on her. She seemed to lean away from him slightly, her eyes glittering as her hold around Happy tightened slightly.

"......... yes." Hora replied quietly, he quirked a brow.

"You are a Mage from another Guild, aren't you?" He asked, Hora held Happy a little tighter without meaning to.

"... yes.." She mumbled softly, "... but I can't tell you which one. I'm not even supposed to be talking with other Guilds, let alone..." She growled slightly, her eyes flashing as she shook her head. ".... it's complicated. I'm sorry, but I can't." He held her in his stare for a few tense moments more, before his eyes fell closed with a small nod.

".. very well." He murmured, Hora blinked in surprise at how quickly he relented. Happy's paw patted her arm lightly, smiling a little as she let him go- picking him up and setting him on the floor gently.

"Thank you for helping find Wendy and Carla, Hora." Happy told her softly, she nodded stiffly. "How did you find them though? We looked all over,"

"..... I had some help." Hora replied softly, "... that, and my nose." She added, Happy blinked.

"Your nose..?" He hummed, looking a little confused- but Hora was already getting to her feet, stiff and looking quite uncomfortable. "Oh, I think I get it, you're Magic works like Natsu's." He hummed, she sweatdropped.

_Sort of_

".... I really do need to leave." Hora murmured, her eyes flicking toward the Old Man who blinked, looking calm as ever. She took a small step toward the door,

"...... Hora." Happy mumbled softly, she shot him an apologetic look.

"Sorry." She mumbled softly, shaking her head a little. ".... really.... I just can't Happy..." He frowned a little, looking sad and worried all at once as she turned- the eyes of the Fairy Tailer's following her as she headed straight toward the door.

Happy let out a small mew, his ears folding slightly, _she looks really scared.... I haven't seen her like that, ever..... but why? Would she really get in trouble that bad..?_

Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her hand reaching for the door and heart thrumming painfully in her chest- she hadn't felt this uneasy since...

_Crap..... just like that, all that confidence is gone.. huh...?_

Master Makarov glanced sideways, his eyes moving from 'Hora' toward the pale shimmer of gold that appeared beside him, as Fairy Tail's First Master appeared again, her green eyes fixed to the retreating woman and face utterly neutral. He blinked, before letting his eyes move back toward Hora as she reached the door.

"Thank you very much, for helping to locate our lost members, kind stranger."

Hora's hand halted, her body growing stiff at the voice as shivers ran up her spine- her blue eyes flashing gold for a single second as her breath caught in her throat. She halted, shivering slightly as her eyes narrowed,

Hora turned her head slightly, sweatdropping as her eyes found that same blonde little girl standing beside the Old Man, her green eyes serene and her lips pulling slightly at the edges as Hora met her gaze.

"It seems you've proven quite good at finding lost things, hmm?" She hummed softly, Hora swallowed. She nodded, just a little-

"..... you're welcome." She murmured softly, her eyes breaking away again and completely oblivious to the fact that everyone else in the room had gone very still, eyes wide and looking stricken- unbelieving.

She was gone in the next instant, the door closing behind her as Mavis smiled still, her hands hooking behind her back.

"F-First...?" Makarov stammered, sweatdropping heavily as everyone else was- because _what?_

"She.. she can see you..?" He asked quickly, Mavis nodded. "H-how..!? I thought you said only those with the Fairy Tail Emblem could..?!"

".... she is different." Mavis hummed, "... she has the same heart as this Guild."

_And it seems your fate is to cross with Fairy Tail more than once..... Horatia_

* * *

 

Hora held her head in her hands, her chin on top of the table and staring straight ahead at the stack of papers in front of her- and yet not seeing them.

_What did I do..?_

Ira and Doranbolt were staring at her, looking quite lost and unsure of what to say nor do- they weren't sure what happened. Since coming out of the Sun Bar she had been ridiculously on edge, almost to the point of being... scared. She'd said literally nothing since coming back to Era, and only told Doranbolt she was finished- before he took them both back here.

Hora's eyes flashed, her shoulders hunching slightly as her jaw clenched.

_... what did I do....? That was... that was stupid....!_

Her eyes snapped closed, her arms moving to bury her head inside of them.

_They know my name, they know what I look like.. they know I'm from another Guild. Even if Happy won't tell them, or Lucy, or Natsu.... they're gonna be looking now, I can't get anywhere near that Guild for the rest of the Games... I can't run the risk they see me sitting there in the stands with the rest of SaberTooth..... shit..!_

She shuddered, her shoulders and arms shaking as her muscles tightened.

_What if they start asking about the Mage named Horatia..? If Master or Minerva hear anything about that, about Fairy Tail looking for me..... it's going to be worse than last time, and last time he almost.... shit! What was I thinking..?!_

She hissed, she hadn't- the minute she heard Wendy was missing, a kid.... she stopped thinking. She didn't care, all she wanted... needed, was to find that little Dragon Slayer, regardless what risk doing so brought with it.

_..... if they find out..... Jiemma might kill me.... he might... and Sting and Rogue.... Lector... Frosch... Yukino, Rufus.... Orga........_

All that talk about changing the Guild, about finding a way out from Jiemma's hold... what good did any of that do if she ended up dead before getting a chance to try?!

_I have to find some way.... before he even.... shit, shit! Why do I always feel the need to help people?! Even when it'll just end up screwing me over..?!_

Her body relaxed slightly, but her stomach knotted tighter.

_...... So many years, so much time spent looking... Is there even a way?_

_'There is always a way.... You may have yet to know what it is, or find it... But there is a way.'_ Lixue murmured,

_But am I going to like what I have to do, to be set free? I can be free.... But there's a difference between dead and free, and alive and free.... Lixue...._

He never replied, he hadn't an answer for her- stupid as that seemed. There was so much that asshole should know... But apparently not this, one of the few things she ever truly needed to know.

_.... I've probably royally fucked up..... Damn it..._

".... Hora...?" Ira murmured softly, his hand falling on her back gently as he moved up beside her. ".... Are you alright....? Are you in pain... Or...?"

".... No... I just...... I messed up...." She hissed, he blinked. "..... I wanted to fix things.... But I might have made doing that impossible...."

Doranbolt sweatdropped slightly, his eyes narrowing at the answer.

_"But I promise, I'm going to find a way to change things. Whatever happens, it isn't them. I should have tried to do something a long time ago, but that's on me. You can't get involved in it, even though I know you want to. This is something that has to start with me. You can go ahead and blame everything SaberTooth does on me, got it? I've been apart of this Guild longer than anybody else, and it's my fault it's ended up the way it has- period. I'm going to do my best to fix it, I should have done it a long, long time ago. But I'm going to do it- not you, and not right now."_

_Her hand lift, her thumb pressing against her chest as she settled Natsu with an utterly stony stare._

_"You said I had a fire in my belly? You're right, and I'm gonna use it as fuel to fix the mess Jiemma's made of my Guild- no matter how long it takes."_

Doranbolt glanced away,

_".... I take it you don't want anyone to know you have friends here in Fairy Tail?"_

_"Nope."_

.... And why did she go to try and find Wendy and Carla? She hadn't hesitated.

_"Wendy's a kid, isn't she?" Hora murmured, her voice dropping slightly, a little softer. He blinked at it, eyes flashing in question. She let out a deep sigh, her eyes falling closed. "... plus, I'm too nice a person for my own good...."_

_.... She's not supposed to be friendly with the other Guilds, rules or something.... But she still helped them, regardless_.

She was focused on finding people who got lost, who had people worried about them, and did it regardless of what consequences it might land her. She seemed to remember what she'd done the minute it was over with, and the realization she had broken those rules-

The woman who went into North Wind with little chance of walking out again, and did so without a shred of fear.... The idea of breaking the rules her Guild Master set for all of SaberTooth had that same woman trying very hard not to look terrified- but he saw it in an instant.

Doranbolt swallowed slightly, shaking his head a little as he glanced out the window.

_What the hell is going on with SaberTooth? If there was ever a reason to think something wasn't right-_

"....... The Council has a library, yeah?" Doranbolt glanced back toward Hora as she asked the question, Ira nodded slightly in reply to the question. Hora gestured toward the pile of papers in front of her. "After I finish filling out these papers.... Can I take a look in it?"

"Hmm? Why?" Ira asked instantly, looking confused at the request. Hora grimaced slightly,

".... I doubt I'll find what I'm looking for.... But I need to do a bit of research on something specific." Hora replied, shrugging a little. "Might as well get something done if I'm gonna be stuck here, right?"

Ira paused, blinking several times at her, before nodding slightly.

".... Ill have to get permission for you, but yeah... We can do that."

"Thank you."


	20. Save Face

**Chapter 20**

**Save Face**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

Day One of the Grand Magic Games-

"Are they ok?!" Natsu snapped, the door slamming open as he pushed it in, moving without a care or moments pause inside the Infirmary room- Gray, Erza, Lucy, Lisanna and Elfman at his heels. He'd come running the minute he heard that Wendy and Carla had been found- and that they'd been knocked unconscious, and were now resting in the Colosseum Infirmary reserved to Fairy Tail.

Happy, and Porlyusica looked up and around when he came in, jumping slightly. "Natsu.." Happy mumbled,

"Where were they?" Gray grumbled, Happy raised a paw, his usual mirth and peppiness gone.

"Hora said she found them passed out in the Palace Gardens." Happy murmured softly, he blinked at the unfamiliar name along with Erza and Elfman.

"H-hora...?!" Lucy asked immediately,

"She told me she was gonna go look for them," Natsu murmured, "So she's the one who found them, huh?"

"Aye..." Happy mumbled,

"Wait- when did you talk with her?" Lucy asked Natsu instantly,

"Right before the Preliminary Round." He mumbled,

"Who is this 'Hora'?" Erza asked,

"Natsu, Lucy and I met her on that job we went to work before training for the Games." Happy told her, "... she's our friend, from another Guild....." Happy tapped his fingers together nervously, ".... and she told me we're not allowed to tell any of you guys which Guild she's from exactly." Natsu and Lucy grimaced slightly at that,

"She wouldn't tell Master Makarov either, when she came to the Tavern last night." Lisanna murmured, Gray, Elfman and Erza's eyes all narrowed slightly.

"Why would she not want us to know?" Gray grumbled lowly,

"... it's.... complicated, from what she said." Lucy mumbled softly, ".... I think she tried to explain it to me once.... it seems like her Master has some really strict rules about interacting with the Other Guilds... and she might get in trouble if he found out she'd been helping any of us." Erza and Gray blinked,

"That seems excessive." Elfman mumbled, Natsu stiffened slightly, his eyes landing on Wendy for a second, before he let them close.

_"And I think I kinda get it, a little." He mumbled, "The way it looked like to me... they act differently in front of everyone, than they act when they're alone, right? That way everybody else seems them like their confident and above everyone else?"_

_".... yeah. That's about exactly it." Hora murmured, "... reputation means a lot to my Guild Master. The whole Guild has to follow his orders on how we portray ourselves to him, and the outside world." She stiffened, looking a little frantic she said that out loud. "B-but don't go spreading that around! Nobody's supposed to know that, everyone's supposed to think we're this big, proud, powerful Guild! A-and we are, but we're also seen as harsh, and ruthless... and oh I need to shut up.... please don't mention any of that to anyone else, please. Master'll be pissed if he hears anything about any of that..." He blinked, his eyes widening when he saw fear pass across her expression._

_Fear_

His fists clenched at his sides, sweatdropping.

"Regardless; if you consider her a friend, we should be thankful she found them, more so than worried about her secrecy," Erza murmured lowly, her attention moving to Porlyusica. "Are they alright?" she asked,

"They are both very weak. They seem to have been drained of all their Magic Power at once, and have developed Magic Deficiency Syndrome as a result." Porlyusica grumbled, Erza grimaced slightly at the news. "They should be alright after resting, I'll keep a close eye on them both."

"But how did all their Magic get drained?" Lucy asked,

Wendy's eyes fluttered open slightly, the world coming into focus slowly.. her nose twitched, fire and ash meeting her and something cooler too.... it smelled like that girl, Hora...?

".... H... Hora..?" Wendy breathed, Natsu blinked, his eyes widening when he heard her say the name. He leaned over slightly, sweatdropping a little with a shake of his head.

"Nah, Wendy. She smells like me, but it's Natsu." He replied softly, she nodded a little. "What happened to ya?"

"... i... I don't... remember..." Wendy mumbled, "... there's.... some black.... creature.... tch..!" Everyone in the room stiffened as the little Dragon Slayer's voice broke off, her face scrunching up in pain.

"Don't push her." Porlyusica snapped lowly,

".... i... I'm sorry.... everyone...... after all the training we did...." Wendy hissed, her eyes glistening as moisture pecked at the edges. "... I can't even help you... in the Games..." They stiffened, their hearts clenching.

"... Wendy.." Lucy breathed, her eyes flashing.

"... Elfman...." Wendy mumbled, he blinked when she said his name. "... will you please.... go in my place...?"

He nodded firmly, "I got this, don't you worry Wendy." She smiled slightly, her eyes glittering.

"Thank you."

"Alright, now all of you out!" Porlyusica snapped, moving as she suddenly shoved them all out in the blink of an eye. "She needs rest, and she can't get it with you here!"

The door slammed shut as they hit the floor out in the corridor. The rumble of the crowd in the stands over their heads grew louder, the time for the Grand Magic Games to officially start drawing near as they began to pick themselves back up from the floor slowly.

Natsu sat up, his fists clenching in his lap as he glared at the door, jaw clenching. "... tch... you think the guy who hurt Wendy is in the Games too?" He hissed, 

"... there's no evidence of that, but it's possible." Lucy mumbled,

"So what? Are they trying to make us weaker before the Games even start?" Gray huffed,

"Who cares?!" Elfman snapped, "We're gonna show them they messed with the wrong Guild, right?" Gray, Erza and Lucy nodded.

"Right."

"Well, good luck you guys." Lisanna smiled, "... oh, before you head off- you should probably know that Master Mavis is here to watch the Games."

"Huh?!"

"The First?!"

"Ain't she dead...!?"

"Well, she's kind of a ghost." Lisanna murmured, "She said that only people with the Fairy Tail Guild Mark will be able to see her, too."

Happy hummed, sweatdropping as he cast a glance up at the Infirmary door from where he was standing beside Natsu- who still had yet to get to his feet.

".... yeah, she said that- but Hora could see her last night." Happy mewed, Natsu stiffened beside him.

"Huh? Really..?" He asked, Happy nodded.

"Master Mavis thanked her for bringing Wendy and Carla home, and she definitely heard her. She even turned around and looked right at her." Happy replied,

".... if she is not a Member of our Guild, how could she have seen the First?" Erza murmured, standing at Natsu's other side. Happy shook his head, shrugging a little.

"I dunno," Happy told her, Natsu's eyes narrowed at the floor.

"..... maybe it's because of her Magic..." He mumbled, earning a blink from Erza and Happy alike.

"Her Magic?" Erza echoed, Natsu didn't elaborate, his arms crossed over his chest, his chin burying itself in his scarf as his eyes closed.

"Well.... Master Mavis said something about her having.... 'the same heart' as the rest of us in the Guild." Happy intoned, Erza looked no more sure of that answer either.

".... Hey, Erza." Natsu mumbled, she quirked a brow at him.

"What?"

"I got a question," He grumbled, she sighed, her arms crossing about her chest.

"About?"

".... do you have any clue what a 'Possession Link' is?" Natsu grumbled slowly, Erza blinked in surprise.

".... that's an odd question, why are you asking?" She replied, his eyes narrowed at the floor.

"...mmm.... it's something Hora mentioned to me." Natsu mumbled lowly, ".... I don't have any clue what it is though, and it's bugging me." Erza paused, before humming slightly.

"... Possession Links are an extremely difficult type of Body-Link Magic." Erza sighed, he looked up at her. "Few Mages are able to use them, since they require a lot of Magic and Skill to cast. They are used to link oneself to a sort of object, or Magical Item- doing so allows them to summon that item to them no matter where the User may be. They also allow Magical Items to be rendered unusable by anyone the 'Possessor' doesn't want using them, and can even be used to destroy an item, if the Possessor sees fit." Natsu blinked, his head tilting slightly.

"....... can you break them?" He asked, she paused, looking a little intrigued- but deciding to answer anyway.

"The Links are unbreakable once cast on an object, as far as I am aware. The only way to get rid of a Link is if the person who created it in the first place wants to remove it." Erza replied evenly, he frowned a little. "..... Is there a particular reason Hora mentioned Possession Links?"

"..... tch... I have no clue...." Natsu grumbled, looking less than pleased.

".... will I get to meet this mysterious woman?" Erza asked next, both Happy and Natsu jumped. "It seems she's intent on keeping what Guild she belongs to a secret, but I would very much like to meet this person you consider a friend- and one kind enough to have spent her time looking for Wendy and Carla; despite the fact it could have gotten her in trouble." Natsu sweatdropped,

".... I don't really like the idea of keeping her so secret... but I'm not gonna point her out, she doesn't want that." Natsu murmured, Erza just blinked at him once. "..... she asked to keep this secret, so I'll do it...."

"... I don't intend to spread rumor." Erza pointed out, he shook his head.

"I didn't think ya would.... but I can't. For now I'm doing what Hora wants." Natsu grumbled, shaking his head slightly. ".... besides, she's not gonna be around today anyway. And probably not tomorrow either, from what she said." Erza sighed,

"Very well.." She mumbled, her head tilting toward the others who looked ready to head out. "Shall we?"

"Heh, hell yeah."

* * *

 

_The Council has so many books on so many different Magics... it's ridiculous..!_

Hora let out a hot breath, her hand reaching upward as she pushed herself up on her toes- teetering sideways on the very, very tall ladder she stood on top of.

_.... I've gone through hundreds of books already, and I can't have made a dent..._

She gave up straining for the thing she clearly wouldn't be reaching, letting out a long sigh as her forehead fell to rest against the shelf.

_..... I've been in here all day... and I've still found absolutely nothing that'll help...._

Her eyes shift sideways toward the long window at the end of the aisle, the sun setting outside- bearing down on the first day of the Grand Magic Games, and she had missed all of it like she thought she would. And the way it looked- she'd filled out hundreds of papers but now she had to wait for them to be reviewed and approved... and there was no telling how long that was gonna take tomorrow.

_I wonder.... how everyone did, though....?_

"Hmmmmm........." She hummed, her eyes falling from the window toward the tiny figure of Ira moving between stacks of books, another stack in his arms. "Ira!" She called, he jumped, struggling to keep the stack in hand balanced as he looked up at her high over his head.

"Hmm? Yeah?" He called back, before pausing, looking nervous. "P-please don't ask me to cover for you, so you can run off again, Hora..."

"It's not that, relax." Hora sighed, stepping off the later and into mid-air, Ira stiffened at the sight.

"W-wait...?!" He snapped, but Hora was already falling through the air toward him- and landing on her feet with ease. He hissed, staring at her as she straightened and put her hip on her hand with a quirked brow at him. "...... did you have to jump down? You couldn't just climb down the ladder again?" He sighed, she shrugged.

"Jumping's faster." She replied with ease, "Can I use some paper? I figure it's probably time to replace that Calling Card that got trashed." His eyes widened a little, before he nodded once.

"Uh, yeah." He mumbled, turning to set the books in hand down on the floor with a sigh. He snapped his fingers and a few pieces of paper and a pen dropped into his hands, before he handed them over to her. Hora smiled slightly with a nod of her head, taking them from him and turning to settle in on the top of a stack of books. Ira stood by, his eyes watching her in intrigue as she set to work tracing out the card face and drawing in the designs along the sides.

"...... you're really good at drawing." He murmured, she smiled slightly.

"I do alright." She hummed, her eyes never leaving her work.

"I meant to ask, that Messenger Bird you created back in the Hospital, is that something you can do because of your Devil Slayer Magic?" Ira asked curiously, Hora blinked.

"... not exactly." She hummed, ".... I mean the fire does have something to do with it, but it's more my own special version of Picto Magic." Ira nodded slightly,

"... cool..." He murmured, she smirked slightly, reminded for a moment of Sherria back in Lamia Scale.

She set the pen down, her finger tracing along the outline of the card as her skin stained dark a moment, golden flame dancing onto the page and separating the card from the unneeded strips of paper at the end, and curling inward across the paper but not consuming it, adding a splash of color to the originally black and white patterns as sections of it stained blues and reds and greens and gold all at once, the surface shining as if the paper had been polished and glossed.Ira was watching with shinning eyes, looking awed as Hora straightened up and held the card out to him with a small smile,

"Do me a favor, will you?" She murmured, he tilted his head. "Do you mind putting that Preservation Spell on this, the same one you used with this Ribbon?" She asked, her wrist lifting with said ribbon. He nodded,

"Yeah, no problem." He smiled, his hand lifting to take the card as he pressed it between both of his palms. A Magic Circle appeared on both of his palms, sandwiching the card between them as Ira's eyes fell closed in concentration. They glowed a faint white color, the light brightening into the shape of a sphere around his hands and the card both.

There was the sound of something like a stamp hitting paper, before the light faded and he let out a sigh- smiling still as he handed the card back.

"There you go." He smiled softly,

"Thank you~" Hora hummed, "What kinds of Magic do you use, anyway? I've heard of Preservation Spells, but I've never come across any that could hold up against my Magic. And apart from that, this whole Tracking Magic is completely new for me too." He stiffened a little, looking suddenly nervous as he looked away quickly.

"O-oh, well... I kinda use a bunch of different Magics.... they aren't all that special..." He stammered, "..... I mean I guess the Tracking Magic is a little rare, and I did kinda.... make a specialized version of it to work with objects connected to people...... but even then I can't track people themselves. Just things." He sweatdropped, ".... as for the Preservation Spell.... I don't know? I've been using it since I was really little so I guess I just got good at it...?" Hora tilted his head at him, blinking a few times.

"..... are you trying to be modest or..?" She mumbled, he shook his head quickly.

"N-no..?" He replied, she sighed, smiling slightly.

"... ah, well. Regardless, you are a pretty good Mage yourself, kiddo." She murmured, he blushed. "Especially so for having a job in the Council instead of a Guild."

"T-thank you..." He stammered, she smirked.

"Well, I'm gonna take a break from searching and give my Guild a call, kay?"

"Alright."

Hora waved a hand behind her as she started up the aisle again, heading deeper into the library that was incredibly empty for it's massive size. She slowed to a stop and sank down to sit cross-legged on the floor with her back pressed up against one of the shelves, tapping the card-face as it came to life and she connected the call to the other card in Crocus.

The faces of Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch appeared on the card-face, she smirked.

"Hey~!" She hummed brightly,

"Hora!"

"You fixed your Card?"

"Nah, I just made a new one is all." She smiled, "This one's got a heavy-duty Preservation Spell on it though, so it won't get damaged or broken again." They nodded,

"Sounds good to me!" Lector purred,

"So, how did the First Day of the GMG go?" Hora asked, they smirked.

"We're in first place of course!" Lector smiled,

"And this other Guild called Raven Tail is in second, with Lamia in third." Rogue murmured, Hora's head tilted.

"Raven Tail? I've never heard of it..."

"Hmm, nor have I." Rogue sighed,

"Rumor going around is they were supposed to be some sort of Dark Guild." Sting told her, "That- and their Guild Master is the son of Fairy Tail's Guild Master, and they've got some huge beef going between the two of them."

"... I take it Fairy Tail made it through the Preliminary Round, then?" Hora asked,

"... ah, yeah- about that." Sting huffed, "They've got two Teams playing for them in the Games, an A and a B Team." Hora blinked,

".... huh...?"

"We were surprised too." Rogue murmured,

"Fro thinks so to!"

"Apparently they let all the Guild's enter several Teams, since they were planning on knocking a bunch of 'um out during the Prelims." Lector explained, "The Game Organizers weren't planning on a Guild having more than one Team make it through, but Fairy Tail did... somehow."

"Two Guilds or not, they are sucking so far." Sting mumbled, "Both Fairy Tail Teams are in dead last." Hora smiled nervously,

".. ah..." She sighed, "..... are both Natsu and Gajeel playing, then?"

"Yeah." Sting and Rogue said in unison, Hora smiled a bit more.

"Well that's nice, maybe you two will get a chance to face off against them. I'm sure the crowds would love to watch those fights." Hora hummed brightly, they smiled slightly.

"We're gonna wipe the floor with them, ya know." Sting smirked, Hora chuckled.

"Hehe, I don't know, Natsu was pretty good when I worked with him~"

"Oi! Who's side are you on, Hora?!" Sting snapped, she smiled.

"Yours of course, just don't go underestimating him." She replied, he huffed, looking just slightly annoyed. "So? What was the first event like? And the individual matches?" She sweatdropped, just a little. "... did anybody in SaberTooth face off with someone?"

"The first event was called 'Hidden'!" Lector told her, "They created this huge city in the middle of the Arena and made tons of copies of everyone playing! You had to score points by tagging one of the real people from the other Guilds, and you lost points if you tagged a clone instead."

"Hmm, interesting... who went for us?"

"Rufus." Frosch mewed, "And he beat everyone, easy!" Hora smiled, her elbow resting on her knee as she sighed.

"Figures, that sounds like his sort of game..."

"Orga fought today too." Lector piped up, Hora quirked a brow.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, and it was over in about ten seconds." Sting sighed, Hora sweatdropped.

"Ah.... who'd he fight with?"

"Some guy from Quatro Cerberus." Sting mumbled, "The dude didn't stand a chance, it took Orga just one hit.... but the crowd liked it, heh."

"They even liked it when he started one of those songs of his." Lector shrugged, Hora saw Sting and Rogue grimace slightly at the memory, and she slightly agreed. Orga wasn't... well, he wasn't known for his singing talent.

"Are he and Rufus the only one's who participated today?" Hora asked, they all nodded.

"Sting plans to participate in the first event tomorrow." Rogue murmured, "... whatever it ends up being."

"Whatever it is, I'm gonna rock it." Sting smiled, Hora hummed under her breath. Rogue gave her a pointed look,

"... I take it you called to tell us you won't be here for the Games tomorrow, either?" The Shadow Dragon Slayer asked, she nodded.

"Yeah.. sorry. The paperwork got done and put through, but the Council needs to review and sign off on everything... and I literally have no idea how long it's going to take." She replied, "... I'm sorry I'm gonna miss so much, but I know you guys will do great without me."

"It's alright, Hora." Sting smiled slightly,

"We know you don't have a choice." Rogue told her softly,

"I'm surprised you've been handling all that political nonsense so well!" Hora blinked at the voice, she knew it belonged to Orga, though she couldn't see him in the picture. "You've never been the type to like all the administrative stuff, hehe~! You burn up any papers you didn't want to fill out?"

"O-of course not..." Hora sighed,

"Don't be absurd, Orga." Rufus' voice was low, but she heard him too.

"So you'll be back sometime tomorrow, Hora?" Yukino leaned in down between Rogue and Sting, Hora nodded.

"Yeah, sometime...." She sighed, "But regardless, good luck, all of you. And be careful too, yeah?"

"Of course." They all replied in tandem, she smiled.

"I'll see you soon."

* * *

 

Day Two of the Grand Magic Games-

"Staring is rude, Natsu."

Natsu blinked, jumping slightly at Erza's voice in his ear- his eyes snapping away from staring across the good three hundred feet or so between their Team Waiting Area, and that of SaberTooth's own box. It was far enough it was a little hard to make out who was there, but his eyes were sharp enough to know that the person he'd been looking for was not there- though it wasn't as if he'd seen anyone other than Team SaberTooth there yesterday... it was like the rest of their Guild didn't want to come visit... or maybe they weren't allowed(?).

He glanced up at Erza, sweatdropping slightly. "... right..." He mumbled, she shook her head at him.

"Ah... Natsu-san..?"

Natsu blinked, his eyes falling on his other side as Wendy tapped him on the shoulder. She'd changed into her clothes, since she was now stepping into her place on the Team (seeing as how Elfman got the crap beaten out of him winning to that Bacchus guy...). She smiled up at him a little nervously, still flustered it seemed from the 'Pose' battle that Mirajane had against Jenny... where everyone somehow getting roped into dressing up before it was finally over. He'd been watching the tail end of that battle in sheer silence until it was over, and then his eyes wandered where they had so many times that day without meaning them too. And the longer the Games waned and the closer they came to a close on the second day, there was no sign of that Fire Devil Slayer anywhere.

Wendy had been watching beside him for awhile now, along with everyone else- but her tug on his sleeve as everyone waited for the last match of the day to start caught his attention instantly.

He smiled, "What's up, Wendy?"

"Ah, well I've been meaning to ask you." She hummed, "But that woman who found Carla and I, Happy said you were friends with her?" He paused for a split second, his smile softening a little as he nodded.

"Yeah, Hora." He murmured,

"I was just wondering.... I really want to thank her, for helping us." Wendy told him, "Happy said she did it even though she'd probably get in trouble with her Guild. I wanna tell her how much I appreciate that she helped us, even if it might end up badly for her." Natsu's eyes flashed a little, ".... I know she made you guys promise not to tell anyone what Guild she's part of, and I won't ask you to. But if you see her, maybe you can tell her I said thank you?"

Natsu smiled slightly, his hand resting on head. "You got it. If I see her I'll let her know."

"Thank you." Wendy smiled back,

Gray blinked, his eyes falling on Wendy for a moment as he listened in to the small conversation. He glanced up at Natsu too, his eyes narrowing when he saw the unease work it's way into the Pinkette regardless of the smile he put on,

He'd very much like to meet his mysterious Hora person, it made no sense how secretive Happy, Natsu and Lucy were all being about her- enough they out right refused to tell the Guild what she didn't want them too. He also knew he wasn't the only one interested too, a lot of other people in the Guild were. Erza and Master being two of them,

"And now to announce our final battle for the day!"

His attention cast away from Natsu, who let his hand move from Wendy's head- all their eyes turning toward the arena.

"Our final match up will be Team Mermaid Heel's; Kagura Mikazushi- and Team SaberTooth's; Yukino Agria!"

Natsu stiffened, his eyes narrowing.

_SaberTooth huh...?_

He leaned against the railing, watching in silence as a woman with pale blue hair and another with dark hair walked out onto the field, both straight-faced.

"What's gonna happen, do you think?" Gray grumbled,

"Pay close attention." Erza ordered lowly, "SaberTooth is the Guild to beat this year, we need to learn all we can about their Team."

"Right."

"Kagura has made quite the name for herself! Not only is she considered the strongest in all of Mermaid Heel, but she's also been elected Number One Female Wizard by Sorcerer Weekly!" The Announcer's voice filtered through the whole of the Arena, "-On the other hand, not much is known about Yukino! However the simple fact that she has been chosen to represent SaberTooth in this year's Games tells us she will certainly be a force to be reckoned with!"

Sting and Rogue grimaced slightly, both of them stiff and rigid as their eyes locked down on the Arena. Lector and Frosch were still too, ears pressed against their heads and paws clenched at their sides.

"Yukino will be ok, right?" Frosch mumbled,

"Yukino is super strong! She can beat this Mermaid Lady no problem!" Lector grumbled,

Sting sweatdropped, his head tilting back a little overhead- somewhere up there in the stands Master Jiemma was surely watching, and he swallowed. After having dropped out of the Chariot Race that morning, he could imagine Master wasn't too pleased already... which didn't really bode all that well for Yukino, if-

He hissed, his jaw clenching as he shook his head at himself.

_Yukino knows what she's doing, we trained hard as hell for three months.... she can do this._

Rogue cast Sting a sideways glance, his lips pulling in a faint, uneasy frown he saw mimicked in everyone in the booth around them. His red eyes shift behind them toward the door, sweatdropping slightly.

If Hora were around right now he could imagine how tense she would be. Yukino going head to head with anyone in the Games was something all of them on the Team had been wary of. Yukino had been in the Guild a year already but nowhere near as long as the rest of them, and for it- she didn't have the good graces of the Master or the Lady as much as the rest of them had.

His eyes fell closed a moment.

_...... Do your best, Yukino...._

The air rung as the gong to start the match was hit, the crowd cheering all around in anticipation and excitement.

"It is an honor to cross blades with you." Yukino murmured softly, her head dipping toward Kagura- who blinked in surprise at the words, before nodding back.

"For me as well."

Yukino's eyes cast up toward the stands for half a second, her shoulders tensing slightly. Her eyes fell back on Kagura, emotionless and stern- that face that she had by now learned to put on for the whole of the world, and especially so- knowing Master Jiemma was watching her closely. She had to be cold, and collected, and proud- SaberTooth Wizards did not get emotional, or angry- they won, no matter what, and they had to stay cool- but above all?

_Show the world we are better than all of them._

"... so, shall we do as the others have been?" She murmured, "And make a wager?"

"Silly bets do not interest me." Kagura grumbled lowly,

"Is that because you're afraid of losing?" She asked instantly, Kagura didn't even react.

"You are mistaken if you believe that." Kagura replied easily, "I fear no such thing, but when I enter into an agreement- I guarantee it will be enacted without fail. Because of that, I never gamble for entertainment."

Yukino swallowed, barely catching herself from shuddering as shills suddenly ran up her spine- she could feel eyes on her back from somewhere unseen, piercing and cold.

_Master_

".... nor do I." She murmured slowly,

_Show the world...._

"So let us raise the stakes, shall we?"

_... that SaberTooth Wizards do not back down from any challenge, no matter what._

Her heart dropped into the pits of her stomach, but that wouldn't stop her- she had to make it look like she was unafraid, that she was sure she would win.

_Master is watching_

"Let's wager our lives."

Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch, Orga and Rufus all stiffened, their eyes falling closed and their jaws clenching, fighting not to react outwardly to the words that made their hearts skip a beat. They felt it too, above their heads- eyes cold and malicious, the sort to see right through you.

_Master is watching... keep up face._

Natsu felt everyone of his Team grow rigid around him in the same instant he did, their eyes widening at the wager.

_W-what the...?!_

Natsu's eyes narrowed, leaning in over the railing a little more. "Betting their lives..?! Seriously?!" He hissed,

"That's _crazy_ , talk about raising the stakes.." Gray grumbled,

"... why would she do something so extreme..?" Lucy mumbled,

_What the hell is she...?!_

Natsu halted, his eyes widening in the instant he saw some sort of emotion flicker across Yukino's expression- regardless of how emotionless she had come off as being. His heart stopped, a bead of sweat falling down his face-

 _Fear,_ fear where she tried to bury it- the exact same look he's seen in Hora before.

His eyes snapped straight across toward SaberTooth's box on instinct, his breath catching in his throat- he swore he saw it there too, in the rest of the SaberTooth team watching.

_... but... why are they....?_

His jaw clenched, his eyes snapping back down toward Yukino.

_Something's not right, there's something not right goin' on in SaberTooth... but what...?!_

Kagura held Yukino in her narrowed gaze for a few long moments, Yukino looking back, rigid and calm.

_Save Face... no matter what._

"... very well, I accept."

* * *

 

Hora shivered, her breath catching in her throat as she was jolted out of dozing by ice running up and down her back out of nowhere. She jumped up a little from leaning against the wall, her eyes snapping open and blurry for a few seconds- sweatdropping heavily as she felt tenseness settle deep in her core.

She hadn't even been aware she had dozed off at all, but there she was- tucked away in the library surrounded by tons of books (all of which held no answers of course...) and leaning against the wall, asleep.

And now suddenly awoken by the feeling of something being... wrong.

_What the hell is that...?_

_'Foreboding, almost..... but from what?'_ Lixue grumbled, but as quickly as the feeling came, it faded to near none-existence. Hora bit the inside of her cheek,

_.... that didn't feel right..._

Her eyes trailed up toward the window, blinking in surprise to see the sun had gone down already. She hissed under her breath, rolling up onto the balls of her feet and standing up all the way. Her ears trained for the sound of someone else in the library with her, but it was silent.

_Hmm....._

She turned and started toward the front of the room,

_... the paperwork has to have been cleared by now, right?_

She walked a little faster,

_...... I feel..... like I needed to leave..._

Hora hissed lowly, her eyes flashing.

"Ira! Doranbolt!"

She didn't get an answer, her hand fell into her back pocket as she pulled the Calling Card out, her finger tapping against the surface harder than was needed.

She felt her heart stop, the tense faces of Rogue, Lector and Frosch appearing on the Card Face- immediately seeing the fear and unease.

"What happened?!" She snapped shortly, they flinched a little. How would she even know..?

It was awful, they'd hated themselves- every second of it and they had stood there, fixed to the spot with their hearts twisting and their stomachs too- anger and rage burning inside of them and disgust too, but never more than that fear- that need to comply, obey.

But it was like last time, they could hardly keep themselves in line- their anger toward the man grew worse, their unease about the Guild being run by him the getting all the deeper.... but _shit._

They still didn't do anything! They hated themselves, but they didn't.... they were scared.

Hora didn't blame them, but her rage was too potent to really care.

"What happened?!" She snapped again, breaking the three on the card face out of their thoughts and their own heads.

"Yukino was put in a one-on-one battle today... she..." Lector hissed,

"... she lost... Atia... and.. M-master..." Frosch stammered, Hora eyes went wide, glittering as her jaw snapped shut.

"I'm sorry, Hora." Rogue hissed, his eyes flashing as he failed to meet her gaze. "You told us to look after her... but we..... tch....... Master, he forced Yukino out of the Guild.... He made her remove her mark, he made her.... remove her clothes... too.....he... kicked her out.... and we......"

Hora's face darkened, horror and utter rage dawning on her face. Lector and Frosch visibly recoiled from the screen, their ears pressing flat against their heads, shaking.

"..... we tried to go after her... but Sting's under the Master's watch... since he forfeited the first Event....." Rogue hissed, "..... I'm sorry, Hora..... we couldn't find her.... Yukino.... she's..... no longer part of... SaberTooth......"

Rogue's eyes dared to move up and meet hers, and he recoiled too- his eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily.

Hora's eyes were blazing, her teeth grinding down on one another and her expression twisted with so much rage- she was _terrifying_ , he'd never seen that look on her before and he didn't think he ever wanted to. He could see fire licking up around the edge of the screen, see it sparking off her shoulders, the markings already spreading across her neck and under her jaw.

"Tch.... that........ fucking _bastard_......" Hora hissed, her voice near an animalistic growl- the three on the other end of the card shivered at the sound.

_I'm done, I'm sick of this.. this is the last fucking time....!_

".... Jiemma... that bastard...... how fucking _dare_ he?!" Hora snapped, fire surging around her and singing the books and shelves. "Tch...... he's _dead_."

They went deathly still, paling as they heard the words make it past her lips, icy and dripping in venom, _wrath._

 _'Horatia...'_ Lixue warned, she didn't care.

"H-hora.. wait...!" Rogue stammered, panic hitting him full on.

_There was murder in her eyes._

"I'm coming back, right now." Hora hissed, ignoring him entirely. "I'm finding Yukino, and when I do- Jiemma is gonna have hell to pay!"

She cut the call off before any of them could say anything, stuffing the card in her pocket- flames dancing off her body as rage- _murderous rage_ coursed through every inch of her body, her eyes icy and blazing all at once.

"What the hell are you yelling for-?" Doranbolt appeared beside her, his voice breaking off as he recoiled in an instant- his eyes glittering and reflecting the light of the fire. Her eyes landed on him, his heart falling to his feet as he saw the dangerous look on her face,

"You are taking me back to Crocus," Hora hissed, the black spreading up her cheek and under her eye. He swallowed, hard,

_"Right now!"_

* * *

 

"Man... I'm stuffed!" Natsu sighed, patting his stomach as he walked along beside Lucy, Happy, Wendy and Carla- the night sky overhead and the air cool as they made their way toward the inn for the night.

"You're going to eat yourself sick someday." Carla sighed, shaking her head slightly.

"And I'll be right there with him." Happy grinned, Carla sighed.

"The Inn should be somewhere around here, right?" Wendy asked, her eyes moving up toward Lucy.

"Yep. It won't be long now." The blonde smiled lightly, Wendy smiled nervously.

"I probably shouldn't get my hopes up, but do we have separate rooms?" Wendy asked, Lucy smiled, sweatdropping slightly.

"No way.. we can barely afford one room." She mumbled, "Though to be honest, I'd give anything to get away from Natsu and Happy's crazy snoring.... not that Gray and Erza's is any better, mind you."

"Speaking of, do you know where they went?" Happy asked, Carla shrugged.

"I can't speak for Erza, but Gray is handling his own crazy right now." The she-cat sighed, recalling the confrontation he'd been left to deal with with both Juvia and Lyon... something about love, was it?

"Hmm? Where's Erza then?" Natsu mumbled,

"Don't look at me, I'm not her keeper." Lucy sighed, "... but I bet you she's getting in a workout before tomorrow."

Natsu hummed, his eyes falling ahead of them- pausing. He leaned in a little, eyebrow quirking. "... hey, that girl in front of the inn looks pretty familiar." He grumbled, Wendy blinked, looking ahead too.

"You're right, but where from?" The bluenette murmured, Lucy's eyes narrowed.

"How can you guys even see that far...?" Lucy mumbled allowed, her eyes narrowing as she did her best to get a good look- all the while their group getting closer.

Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening a little. "Hey, wait- ain't that..?!"

"It's that girl from SaberTooth..." Wendy mumbled, Lucy sweatdropped.

"Yukino..?!" She stammered, Yukino glanced up at her name, her eyes glinting in the dim as the group halted in front of her, her shoulder stiffening slightly in unease- a bag at her feet. Lucy grimaced slightly, taking a tentative step toward her. "But.... why are you here?" She asked softly, "... I thought you guys would get in trouble if..." She broke off, missing the looks on confusion that passed across Carla and Wendy's faces.

"Forgive me for bothering you so late." Yukino murmured, her eyes flashing at the comment the blonde stopped herself from finishing. "... there is something I need to discuss with you, Lucy... it couldn't wait." Lucy blinked,

"... uh.... ok..." She mumbled, "... should we... go inside, then...?" Yukino nodded,

".. yes, I think that would be best." She replied, Lucy stepped toward the door, casting a curious and wary glance over her shoulder as Yukino moved to follow her in- the rest of the group following behind, Natsu at the very back, his eyes narrowed and face neutral.

There it was again, that feeling... _something's not right._

They made it up to the room, Lucy gesturing for Yukino to take a seat as the blonde took hers at the other side of the table. Silence passed between the lot of them for a few moments, Yukino's eyes fixed on her hands and tense still.

".... uhm... are you... ok..?" Lucy asked slowly, Yukino blinked, her shoulders hunching slightly.

"... the truth is... I realize this out of nowhere.. but..." She swallowed slightly, her hand trembling faintly as she brought it forward- setting down two Golden Celestial Keys on the table in between herself and Lucy. "... please take these..." Her voice dropped a little, barely managing to keep it from shaking as she drew her hand back- hating the emptiness she felt immediately.

"... the Key of the Two Fish, and the Key of the Scale..... I want you to have them. They should... belong to someone who can use them properly.." Yukino mumbled,

_Someone.... a Wizard... in a....._

Lucy stiffened, sweatdropping heavily. "W..what...?" She stammered, Natsu's eyes narrowed again. "Wait... I couldn't... please think this through..." Lucy murmured, her eyes glittering.

"I already have." Yukino cut her off softly, her voice a little more stern, a little more... forced. "I made up my mind, after watching you fight.... I could see you care for your Spirits, and I know they'll be in good hands with you..... better than my own, I don't have reason to use them anymore." Yukino mumbled,

"What do you mean..?"

"... My place in the Grand Magic Games is over. It was over the minute I lost... Minerva is going to take my place in the Games." Yukino replied softly, Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening at the name.

_"...... Everyone outside of my Master, and his daughter..... They are good people.... They just.... Its hard for them to show it." Hora shook her head slightly, sweatdropping. ".... Please just remember that, when the Games come around.... There are only two truly awful people in the Guild, no matter what happens... Near everyone in SaberTooth are good people. I promise." Her hands locked together in front of her nervously, her eyes falling from him as Natsu watched quietly._

_".... Master and Minerva.... Are just....." she mumbled half to herself, before sighing heavily. Her blue gaze moved back up toward him as she settled him with a serious, steady gaze. ".... Just be careful, alright?" She asked softly, her eyes flashing._

He bit the inside of his cheek a little, his eyes flashing. Minerva.... that was one of the ones Hora seemed to be trying to tell him to watch out for.

"Tomorrow you will be facing SaberTooth's five strongest. Those Five Members who transformed the Guild into the Number One in all of Fiore." Yukino mumbled, her eyes fixed on the table.

"Wait, you mean..?" Happy mumbled,

"We thought you were one of the Five Strongest." Carla said quickly, Yukino shook her head.

"... no, I only joined the Team as a replacement for Minerva- while she was away on a Job." She explained quietly, her hands clenched in her lap.

"But I'm still confused, why do you want to give up your Keys?" Wendy murmured, "I thought Spirits were precious to their Contractors..?"

"They are, but that also means I want to do the best I can for them... and I can't, not anymore. They would be better off in Lucy's hands, she's clearly the superior Wizard to me." Yukino replied,

"T-thank you, for the compliment.. but my answer is still no." Lucy mumbled,

"... you've already managed to collect ten of the twelve Zodiac Keys. All you have to say is yes, with these in your possession you will have them all." Yukino pressed, her eyes flashing. "And once you do, the Door of World Change shall open."

Lucy stiffened, blinking several times. ".. th...the Door of World Change...?"

"What does that mean..?" Natsu asked, Yukino sighed slightly.

".. it's just an old legend... to tell you the truth, I don't know what it means either." Yukino murmured, "... but what I do know is you'll take good care of them, they'd be happy with you."

Lucy stared, her eyes glittering.

".... I'm sorry, but I can't." She replied again, smiling slightly. "Celestial Magic is about the bonds we form between our Spirits, it's not so easy to change ownership of them, and I wouldn't want to separate them from you." Yukino blinked, her eyes flashing, before they fell into her lap, her shoulders tensing.

"... I know.... believe me, this isn't easy..." She hissed, her voice shaking slightly. She caught her self, shaking her head as she suddenly stood up, smiling a little nervously. "F-forget about it, I figured that would be your answer... from what I've been told about you....." Lucy blinked, her interest perking slightly. "That's alright... for better or for worse, I'm sure the Twelve Zodiac Keys will be together, some day."

Lucy smiled, nodding slightly as Yukino returned it.

"I hope this is not the last I see of you, Lucy Heartfilia.." Yukino murmured, picking the keys back off the table and holding them to her chest, her smile softening.

"I hope so too."

* * *

 

"You passed up quite the chance, you know." Carla mumbled, shooting Lucy a sideways look.

"I have to agree with Carla on this," Wendy smiled slightly,

"... to be honest, a while ago I would have jumped at the chance to have all Twelve Keys." Lucy murmured, ".... but I haven't wanted that for awhile now." Her eyes flashed, her hands folding in her lap.

_She looked.... so sad..._

".... it's obvious Yukino cares for her Spirits as much as I do, it looked like it was killing her, thinking about giving them up." Lucy mumbled, ".... I wasn't going to let her break those bonds, she would have regretted it for the rest of her life..."

_..... but that.... showing up here, out of nowhere..... Hora said no one in SaberTooth could be seen talking to the other Guilds...... something clearly wasn't right...._

Her hands tightened around eachother.

_..... it was like..... she was talking like she wasn't a Mage, anymore..... like she wasn't going to be a Celestial Spirit Wizard....._

"Hmm? Where have Natsu and Happy gone off to?" Carla grumbled,

"They ran off after Yukino." Wendy replied, Lucy glanced up toward the little Dragon Slayer. "They said they had something they forgot to ask her..." Lucy's eyes narrowed,

_.... Natsu could see it too.... something's wrong...._

* * *

 

"Hey! Yukino! Wait up!!"

Yukino halted, her breath catching in her throat at the voice calling out behind her- and who she recognized it belonging to. Natsu and Happy were coming up the street behind her, breathless.

".... what... could they want with me....?" Yukino mumbled to herself,

"... Hey..! Thanks for stopping..!" Natsu panted, skidding to halt in front of her as Happy did the same. "... I was a little afraid you wouldn't.... isn't being seen with other Guilds supposed to get you in trouble or something..?" He asked lowly, Yukino blinked, looking a little shocked- just for a small second.

"..... Oh, I see..... Hora asked you not to tell anyone you know each other." Yukino murmured, "That makes sense.... I suppose I didn't think about it at the time." Natsu and Happy both nodded,

"Hora told you we worked together?" Happy asked, Yukino nodded.

"I didn't want to bring it up, in case Wendy and Carla didn't know." Yukino murmured, ".... I'd hate to get her in trouble."

"But what about you? You're Saber and you came to see us." Natsu murmured, Yukino swallowed slightly.

"... I....." Yukino breathed, her eyes falling to the ground. "...... I'm..... not a member of SaberTooth, anymore..." both boys stiffened, eyes wide.

"Huh?" Happy breathed,

"Why not..?" Natsu asked immediately,

"..... I lost..... that means.... I don't meet SaberTooth's standards... anymore..." Yukino hissed, ".... So I... had to leave..."

"What? They kicked you out for losing one lousy battle..?!" Natsu hissed, she nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground. "What the hell...?! That's not fair! And nobody said anything..?!" Yukino flinched slightly,

"... it... it's not like that.... everyone else... just..." She mumbled, Natsu stared. "... it... it's not them..... It was the... the Master's doing... it was his decision..."

"But that's bullshit! Just because he says something doesn't mean you all have to do what he says!" Natsu argued instantly, "They're your Guild, ain't they?! They gotta know kicking you out over one fight isn't right! Why didn't they stick up for you?!" She swallowed, her eyes fixed on the floor. Natsu growled, taking a step toward her.

"What about Hora?! I can't believe she'd sit back and let you get kicked out over something so stupid!" Natsu snapped,

"... Hora isn't back yet, she wasn't there." Yukino replied lowly, shaking her head. Her hands balled tightly around themselves in front of her, ".... and to be perfectly honest... I'm glad she wasn't."

Natsu halted, his eyes widening, a bead of sweat falling down his face.

".... I know her.... I know she'd never... she wouldn't have been able to stand there, and watch..... not when Master made me..... take off my clothes... or take off my Guild Mark by myself..... she couldn't have forced herself to stay in line. She would have done something.... but..." Yukino hissed, "...... she's different, she's not.... she's not afraid of speaking her mind, she's gotten bolder.... she'd have stepped in against Master in an instant... and if she had... he'd have hated it.... and the last time...."

She shuddered, her eyes glittering as specks of moisture poked at the corners of her eyes. Those eyes that dared to break up from the ground and toward him for a small second, eyes filled with fear, and pain.

"... the last time Hora did something Master didn't like..... tch... he's always been harder on her, than anybody else in the Guild... and last time... he... he hurt so _badly_..." Yukino stammered, Natsu and Happy felt their hearts skip a beat, a single line of tears falling over Yukino's cheeks.

"... he hurt so much... we didn't think she was going to... make.. it...." Yukino hissed, her voice dropping away as she shut her eyes against the memory. "... we... we thought she was going.... t...to die...!"

Happy let out a terrified breath, his ears pressing flat against his head at the words. "Y... your own Guild Master... hurt Hora.... that badly....?"

Natsu's whole body went rigid, his eyes narrowed to slits and his fangs grinding down on eachother, a vein ticking on his forehead as his fists clenched.

".... if she.... if she'd been there, today.... I hate to think what he would have done to her...." Yukino shuddered,

"...tch..... why...." Natsu hissed, his face lowering as a shadow passed over his eyes, hiding them from view. Yukino looked up at him, halting. ".... why would she ever.... let him touch her....?!" Natsu snapped, Yukino swallowed. "Why would she let that bastard keep control of the Guild after something like that....?! Why..!?!?"

".... I don't... I don't know...." Yukino replied quietly, "... Hora's.... she's so strong, I think.... I think that she could beat the Master, if she tried.... but she's been in the Guild longer than anybody... and she's never done anything to stand against Master Jiemma..... not even after all the things he's done to the rest of us.... or what he's done to her..." Yukino trailed off slightly, "... she's always just taken it...... and I don't think she's as afraid of him as everyone else is.... I've never been able to understand why she.... she doesn't just leave... or fight back........"

"....tch....... what does he have on her...?" Natsu hissed lowly, Yukino blinked at the question.

_"... unless you have some way of breaking Possession Links, you're not gonna be of much help to me in this situation as it is, sorry."_

".... what does your Master have on Hora, that would force her into letting him get away with any of that...?!" Natsu hissed again, Yukino shook her head.

"I.. I don't know..." She stammered,

"..... tch..... and why does it have to be her?" Natsu growled, ".... why does she say she has to fix it...? Not anyone else....?" Yukino stared,

"..... what do...?"

"........ the rest of those guys in your Guild, how could they stand to see your own Master hurt any of you?" His fists clenched harder at his sides, "You're friends, right? Aren't all of you supposed to be Family?"

".. Natsu.." Happy mumbled,

"You're friends, aren't you?" Natsu snapped, Yukino's eyes fell.

"... y.. yes....! We.. we're all friends... we..... tch......" She hissed, "... we know... we know the way Master treats us... it's not right... we know we shouldn't just... let him get away with any of it... but.... we're terrified......" She shook her head at herself, "... damn it.... we're too scared, we're not strong enough... Hora's the only one who isn't scared of him.... but she's still..... she...."

"... grr..... _damn it!"_ Natsu snapped, his head snapping up, his eyes blazing. "I knew something wasn't right! Why the hell couldn't she just tell me...!? Why the hell did she tell me to stay out of it...!?!?!"

Happy and Yukino both flinched away from him, shivering slightly at the sheer rage they could see bubbling up inside of him. Yukino stared, her eyes wide and glittering.

"............ tch... acting like it ain't my business... damn it!" He snapped, "... tch..... damn it Hora...... but I can't stay out of it... it's bad enough your Master made you erase your own Emblem... but any Master who's willing to try and kill one of you, ain't no Guild Master at all!" He slammed his fist into his palm, flame dancing off his skin. ".... this has to stop, I can't sit back and watch while that asshole keeps hurting any of you! I have to do something!"

Yukino's eyes flashed, taking in a sharp breath.

_.... Natsu.... that look...... I've..... seen it... in Hora..._

* * *

 

The building shook violently, the sound of wood splintering and glass shattering echoing all throughout the halls that had previously been silent. Sting and Rogue jumped, eyes wide and immediately on high alert- Lector and Frosch bristling as they jumped to their paws. They could hear people yelling and shouting outside the door, the sound carrying throughout the entirety of the inn,

"What the hell..?!" Sting snapped,

"Is there an intruder...?" Rogue hissed,

"Tch.... if there is, they're an idiot!" Sting growled, "The whole of SaberTooth is here, who in their right mind would attack us..!?" He went rigid, his eyes widening as he felt his heart drop,

"C-crap... you don't think it's..?!" Sting hissed, fear lighting up in his eyes in the same instant it did in Rogue's. Rogue started forward, Sting close behind as they moved into the hallway- the Exceeds following at their tail.

"She wouldn't start a full on battle, would she...!?!" Lector stammered,

"... she was pissed...." Rogue grumbled lowly, Sting sweatdropped. "... I've never seen her that angry before..."

"Shit..." Sting hissed, they whipped around a corner, people ahead of them flooding toward the lobby- the building shook again with another explosion.

The band of four skidded to a halt, their hearts dropping to their feet and eyes growing wide- panic racing through them as the front doors burst open in a wash of raging fire, the people nearest to it caught up in it and thrown around the room like rag dolls.

"... Hora...!" Sting and Rogue hissed, fear hitting them straight on at sight of the flames.

_She... she wouldn't..!_

"Where is your Master!?"

They stopped, their jaws dropping as they stared.

_N-no way..._

The air rushed past them in a wave of pure power, the next round of people to head toward the door knocked back with ease in a wash of brilliant orange.

"Where is he?! Bring him to me now!!!"

"That's..." Lector hissed, Rogue's poker face shattered.

"Natsu..?!" Sting stammered,

* * *

 

She was seething, every ounce of her body filled to the brim with burning, powerful, wild rage and anger- her Magic surging, relishing in the feeling, feeding off of it- fueling it more. The black markings had stretched further, covering her arms, inching up her face, down her back- she loved the way it burned, it pissed her off more.

_HOW FUCKING DARE HE?!_

She'd left Doranbolt behind, unaware and uncaring if she'd singed him in her rage- she'd sped off the instant her feet landed in Crocus, and she tore through the roads, her footsteps blackening the stone as she sprinted through. The sparse few people left to wander the roads in the night looked at her as she passed, and flinched away.

Years of pent up anger and hatred, things and emotions that swirled deep down in her core- all of it rising up, shattering the barrier of reasoning and self control she'd put up to keep herself from doing exactly this.

_I AM DONE!_

_NO MORE OF THIS!_

_HE'S DEAD!!_

Fire sparked up off her skin, her jaw clenched and teeth grinding down on eachother.

_I'M NOT GONNA BE YOUR FUCKING SLAVE ANYMORE!_

She whipped around a corner, her breathing hot and agitated- her nose trained on one scent only, the one thing that would divert her from rushing straight up that hill and laying fiery waste to that complete and utter asshole.

_IF HE LAID A FINGER ON HER!_

Her foot slammed down on the stone hard enough it shattered, her eyes blazing, and yet so icy it was cutting.

_I'M GOING TO TURN HIM INTO ASH!_

She tore around the next corner, her eyes flashing as she saw ahead the road widened into a square- the moonlight shimmering faintly off a head of pale blue hair she recognized instantly, standing near a fountain, her bag beside her.

"Yukino!" Hora snapped, her voice carrying easily across the air. Yukino jumped, her head snapping around to see Hora running up the street toward her-

She recoiled, her eyes growing wide to see the sheer rage plastered on the other woman's face, the markings shining an inky black under the moonlight, the road steaming black where she stepped.

"H-Hora...?!" Yukino stammered, Hora slowing up just slightly, her hands lifting as she grabbed hold of Yukino's shoulders, her eyes narrowed as glittering. Yukino felt a shiver run up her spine at how warm Hora's hands were on her skin, more so at the anger in her that had never been so.... terrifying.

"Are you ok?!" Hora asked quickly, "Did Jiemma hurt you?! I swear to god if he laid a damn finger on you-!!"

"N-no..! He didn't hurt me..!" Yukino stammered, her mind racing- she'd never seen Hora like this, ever.

"Tch... but he made you..... that bastard, he made you do that, in front of everyone!" Hora snapped, Yukino flinched- knowing immediately Hora was talking about how she'd been forced to strip, and remove her Guild Mark. She realized instantly that Sting and Rogue must have told her- but she couldn't have made it up to the inn yet.

"I am so done with him! I'm gonna tear him to pieces!" Hora hissed, Yukino felt her heart drop. The look in Hora's eyes just then- _murder._

"H-Hora... what are you gonna..?!" Yukino asked quickly, Hora's face darkened and Yukino felt her heart drop.

She looked like she was ready to run off.... to _kill_ him...!

"He's _dead_ , I'm gonna turn him into ash." Hora growled, her tone low and so utterly icy. Yukino stiffened under her hold, her eyes widening and her breath snatched away, staring as she watched the black markings across Hora's skin move, stretching across half of her face.

_This... this doesn't look like Hora, anymore... she looks..... this isn't right..... the way she's acting... it's like.... she's become someone else entirely....!_

Her heart leapt when Hora's hands left her shoulders, her eyes moving up toward the direction to the Inn SaberTooth was staying- her lips pulling in a snarl that didn't look human.

"I'm gonna end this, right now."

Yukino's hand leapt forward, snatching onto Hora's wrist and wincing at the sheer heat- Hora's eyes snapped back to her, cold, cutting, angry-

Yukino scrunched her eyes closed, pulling Hora forward toward her roughly and locking her arms around the other girl- she felt the heat sting against her skin and winced.

_Sorry Hora, but I-_

She pushed them backward, holding tight to Hora regardless of everything- sending herself and the seething Saber tumbling backward over the edge of the fountain and into the water with a splash, their bodies bouncing against the shallow basin painfully.

_\- but I can't let you run off like this, this... this isn't you..!_

The water hissed and steamed the second it touched her skin, the cold painful almost and hitting her like a brick wall, her breath snatching away and gasping as she got plunged under the water entirely, coughing as she sucked up water.

In an instant it was like she could... she could _think_ again, and she felt her heart drop.

_Wh... what the hell....?!_

_What was I.... I was..... I was gonna....?!_

_Oh my god...!_

She coughed again, more water filling her lungs and her head whirling- panic and fear and anger and hatred swirling inside of her,

_It happened again...!? I was losing my mind... in minutes...?! My Magic took control that fast...!?_

_Fast enough..... I was gonna run off and start a war... even though if I did....._

_..... fuck! Fuck!!_

Someone's arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders, pulling her up out of the water as Hora sucked in air- for half a second, before she doubled over, her body lurching and spasming as she coughed up the water she had sucked in, shuddering and heaving as Yukino placed a hand on her lower back, the other latched on to her arm as the bluenette sat beside her in the water,  eyes shinning.

Yukino felt her heart drop into her stomach when Hora started shaking, panting and trembling like a leaf- the markings receding back down her skin toward her right shoulder, the water steaming off her for a few seconds before it stopped.

"Hora..." Yukino stammered,

_Shit...... I lost it.... I was........ so angry....._

Hora's head snapped up, eyes wide and glittering as she turned toward Yukino. "Oh my god, I didn't hurt you did I..?!" Yukino stiffened, grimacing slightly as her hand instinctively moved away, balling into fists to keep her from seeing the faint burns along her palms. Hora noticed it instantly, her eyes flashing as she stiffened.

".. it's not bad." Yukino murmured quickly,

"....tch..... I'm sorry..." Hora hissed, her hands moving to hold Yukino's in hers softly, making her lower them back into the water. ".... I'm...... sorry...... I didn't..... I..." Hora swallowed, Yukino blinked. "..... I wasn't thinking.... I just.... got so worked up....." Her voice broke off in a hiss, Yukino shook her head.

".. Hora its ok.... I understand... you're.... angry..." Yukino murmured quietly,

"...tch... that's no excuse..! I can't just get so wound up that.... I lose my freakin' mind..!" Hora snapped lowly, her head bowed and eyes shut tight. "... I can't lose it so much... that I end up hurting everybody else...! I was going.... I was gonna rush in and-"

Yukino frowned, her eyes closing as she pulled her hands out of Hora's, leaning forward in seconds as she wrapped her arms around Hora's shoulders tightly, pulling the other woman close.

"Please! Please don't do that!" Yukino said quickly, Hora blinked in surprise at the sudden embrace. "I know you're upset, and I know you're angry! You have right to be but.. please, Hora..! Don't run to the Guild Hall and start a fight, please... I don't want you to get hurt again. Not like last time!" Hora's breath caught in her throat,

"Please.... please don't do it." Yukino murmured, her voice shaking. ".... I know you hate what happened to me.... I know it's not fair.... but you can't challenge Master... not unless you...." Hora blinked, Yukino pulled back, her hands on Hora's shoulders and eyes glittering. ".... Hora, something's been holding you back... right? Something that makes you afraid of challenging Jiemma outright...?" Hora stiffened, her eyes widening as she instinctively leaned back away from Yukino- who noticed the reaction instantly, her gaze steady as she held tight to her shoulders.

"I now you're strong enough to contend with the Master, Hora! You beat a Demon of Zeref all on your own, he can't hold a candle to you!" Yukino told her, "You've always been one of the strongest, you've been in SaberTooth longer than everyone else- so many years you've endured Jiemma's cruelty, forced yourself to hold back when he harmed anyone else! You've never once tried to stop him, and I know you aren't afraid of him! That means there has to be something else holding you back, right?" Hora sweatdropped, Yukino pressed on. "It has to be something big, if you've been holding back so long.. something bad....tch... I'm sorry." Hora blinked,

"W... what..?"

".... I'm sorry I never realized... something was wrong....." Yukino growled lowly, "..... I don't know what's holding you back, Hora, and I'm not asking you to tell me if you don't want to.... but I realize now it's serious.... and I'm sorry I never realized it before Natsu did." Hora blinked several times at the name, ".... he's barely known you more than a few weeks, and he realized right away that Master had something hanging over you.... I've known you far longer and I've never seen it."

".... he cares about you, you know? I could see it... the idea that Master would hurt you.... it was the same rage I see in you whenever someone in SaberTooth gets hurt." Yukino mumbled, ".... he knew something wasn't right...... it's like he could just see it..."

"W-Wait.... Natsu..?" Hora stammered, "..... you.... you talked with Natsu....? He said.... that Jiemma had something.... on me....?" Yukino nodded,

"He figured it out, I don't know how... but he did. He caught up to me, a little bit ago." Yukino mumbled, "... he said a lot of other things too, Hora... like you think everything's your fault...?"

"Wait, did you tell... you told him what Jiemma did..?" Hora asked quickly, Yukino nodded stiffly. "To you...? And... to me...?!"

"I'm sorry, but..... I got worked up, I was worried.... he was trying so hard to understand why the Guild is.... you know." Yukino replied softly, ".... he.... said you asked him to stay out of it...?" She paused, seeing the panic rising higher in Hora. ".... he said... he couldn't..." Yukino trailed off, Hora went rigid.

_No... no he didn't..._

Both girls jumped, their head snapping left when the air shook with a huge boom out of nowhere. Hora could hear it clearer than anyone, her heart leaping in her chest and her blood rushing in her ears- that was a sound she knew way too well.

_Fire, explosive fire..!_

"No... n-no he didn't....!" Hora hissed, climbing to her feet in seconds, Yukino sweatdropped- seeing the fear suddenly erupt in the other girl where she had never seen true fear before, not ever. Her fists clenched at her sides, "... damn it Natsu..!"

"W-wait, do you mean...?!" Yukino snapped, "That boom, it was him?!" She gasped, "No, you don't think he went to confront Jiemma do you..?!"

".... tch... shiiiit!!!" Hora snapped, she turned toward Yukino, leaning over as she held the other girl's shoulders. "Yukino! I swear I'm going to come back for you! I'm gonna find a way to take Master down, and I will fix what's happened with the Guild! You have my word!"

"Hora.."

"I'm not gonna run in and take him on... I know it was stupid, you calmed me down- but I have to go! I have to stop Natsu, before he gets himself killed!" Hora hissed, "He's impulsive, he's a hot head... but he has no idea what he's walking into! I have to go!"

Yukino's jaw dropped, riveted as she watched Hora's eyes glitter, moisture pecking at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm gonna come back for you! I promise! You're my friend and I will do everything I can to fix what's happened! But Natsu.... Natsu is my friend too! I have to help him too!" Hora hissed, her forehead pressing lightly against Yukino's as she stiffened. "I'm sorry... but I have to go...!"

Hora pulled away, the water splashing as she sped off- her feet landing on the stone edge of the basin and pushing off hard enough to send herself launching up into the air heading straight toward the hill and the Inn, easily hearing another blast sound from that direction.  Hora's fists clenched at her sides, her feet slamming down on the roof of the building she'd jumped toward, her blood hot, heart pounding- but her core icy cold.

_She cooled me down..... stopped me rushing in and getting myself killed.... but......_

_'You still harmed her, though only slightly.' Lixue intoned coolly, she hissed. 'And now that boy has run off to start a war.'_

".... Natsu.... you idiot..!!!!"


	21. Possession...?!

**Chapter 21**

**Possession...?!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

"He..."

"... he's come to challenge the Master...?!"

Sting shuddered slightly, his eyes wide and his breath shaking as he sucked it in.

_That look..._

Rogue hissed, his poker-face destroyed and tense.

_.... he's full of rage....._

They stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes locked on the man blazing with fire, his face dark, easily throwing away the people who came at him- his very presence making people halt, their bodies stiff, terrified.

_.... he's on the warpath..!_

_But why...!?_

"Where is he?! Where is the Bastard you call 'Master'?!" Natsu raged,

"You wanna take on the Master..?!"

"What are you, stupid..?!"

"Hold on...ain't he from Fairy Tail...?!"

"What does a little Fairy want with me?"

Sting and Rogue stiffened, their eyes snapping from Natsu toward Master Jiemma as he stalked through the crowd, eyes locked on the pinkette who bared his fangs at him.

"So you're the asshole who picks on his Guild, huh?" Natsu hissed, "What you did, hurting the people you're supposed to look after.... tch... how dare you call yourself a Guild Master?!"

"What is he....?" Rufus mumbled,

"... tch.... is he talking about Yukino...?" Orga grumbled lowly,

"You don't have any right to lead these people! You'll kick someone out for losing one stupid battle?! Hurt them if they do anything you don't like?!" Natsu snarled, "How dare you?!?!"

"Did you really come to challenge me?" Jiemma growled lowly, "What a stupid decision."

"I came here to teach you a lesson about what happens when you hurt the people you're supposed to care for! So you'd better listen the hell up!" Natsu snapped,

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about." Jiemma growled, "It seems to me you've come her trying to impose your own moral code, what right do you have to dictate how I run _my_ Guild, or the people in it, hmm?"

"What right do you have to lay a hand on anyone here?!" Natsu hissed, "You've got all these people who follow you, but I can't see why- you're clearly just a rotten bastard who doesn't deserve an ounce of their loyalty or their time!!"

The Guild as a whole seemed to stiffen at the words, their eyes narrowing and looking incredibly uneasy- trying so very hard not to react, not to show that the words- they hit home, _hard._

"Why would anyone follow a bastard who hurts them, or their friends?!"

"Enough of your prattling, fairy. Dobengal- take care of this insect." Jiemma barked lowly, the Guild swallowing as Dobengal stepped forward,

"Yes Master,"

"What are you, scared?!" Natsu snapped,

"Not at all, I'm the Master of this Guild and I'm not going to waste my time on a flea like you. You aren't worth my time, at all." Jiemma grumbled, Natsu jaw clenched harder.

Dobengal rushed forward, too fast for Natsu to keep track of him all the way- but not fast enough he wasn't able to easily dodge out of the way of the punches the Saber man started to thrown his way.

"My beef isn't with you, pal!!! Out of my way!!!!"

Natsu swung around, flames bursting up from the floor and spiraling through the air as he swung his elbow out, his weight thrown into Dobengal with a thundering boom- the man thrown away to smash into the wall hard enough it caved- his body barely missing Sting by a few inches, the air rushing up to slam into his face and snatch his breath away.

_H... holy.... shit...._

"H-he just took out one of the toughest guys in the Guild... like it was nothing....!" Lector stammered, fur on end and eyes wide.

"Tch.... you have spirit, pest." Jiemma growled, "Sting, Rogue- take care of this insolent little fool!"

Rogue and Sting both jumped slightly at the icy order, their eyes narrowing as they tensed.

"Right, Master!"

"Quit hiding behind your lackeys!!" Natsu roared, his eyes snapping from Jiemma as Rogue and Sting charged. "Tch... this guy doesn't give a damn about any of you!" Natsu snapped, jumping backward to avoid the throw Sting sent his way, "How can you stand listening to the asshole who did something like that to your friend?!"

"He's our Master, it's our job to listen and do as he orders." Sting growled,

"You have no sense of authority, Salamander." Rogue hissed, Natsu shook his head, fangs bared and seething.

"Don't give me that crap!!" He roared, fire washing out through the air toward them- both Sting and Rogue jumping to avoid it, bringing themselves behind Natsu- who spun around, eyes blazing. "She keeps defending you assholes! Why the hell is she willing to defend you, after all the shit that's gone on?!"

They blinked, sweatdropping- before splitting apart to avoid the flames that rushed toward them next,

"She said she'd defend you, no matter what happened! She's defending you still even through all that shit this bastard's put her through!!" Rogue swung out, his fists encased in Shadow as he struck out toward Natsu- only to get knocked away, skidding backward on his feet and hissing.

_What the hell... is he...?!_

"She's willing to defend you even when you've sat back and watched her get hurt, why?! Why is she willing to take the blame for all of you?! Why the hell does she keep saying it's her fault?!" Sting hissed, ducking under Natsu's flaming fist as the pinkette missed him by barely an inch- his heart skipping a beat when Natsu's eyes locked with his, seething, searching-

_W..wait..._

"Why does she think it's all on her, huh?! Why does she think she has to fix this?!" Natsu snarled, Sting felt a bead of sweat fall down his back.

_He... he can't be.. right..?_

"Why does she think it's up to her all on her own?!"

Rogue felt a shiver run up his spine, both his mind and Sting's racing- Lector and Frosch standing still, their fur all on end.

_He's... he's not talking about Yukino.... is he...?!_

Sting rolled backward, barely avoiding Natsu's leg as he swung it up- a wall of bright white springing between them as the flames clashed against it with a deafening boom.

_No... he's gotta be....!_

_He's talking about Horatia!_

"And what does this asshole have on her, huh?!" Natsu roared, "Are you all really too afraid of him?! What could possibly be keeping any of you from fighting back?! What's he hanging over _her_ head that's so bad she won't tell you?!"

"W.. what the hell are you.. talking about...?!" Sting hissed, his jaw clenching.

"What has this asshole done to make her feel like she has to change things all on her own?!" Natsu snarled,

_Something.... he's hanging over... Hora's head...?_

Rogue hissed, his breath shaking as he sucked in air-

_"We can't run, and even if we did- we wouldn't leave you behind. If you want us to leave, you have to come with us." He replied, his tone steely. Her jaw clenched, whether it was in pain or frustration he couldn't tell, "If we go anywhere, you go with us- there is no way around it. You have to come with us."_

_"I can't!"_

_Her eyes snapped open to land on him, glittering and watering- filled with more profound sadness and regret than he had ever seen all in one person, and never in her. He stiffened, his heart dropping to his stomach and all anger suddenly destroyed to see the tears pricking at the corners of her blue eyes.... She.... She was on the verge of tears...._

_"A-Atia..." He stammered, heart dropping at the sight. He'd never once seen her cry, and certainly he'd never seen her even come close to doing so.... He didn't know how to react to it, in her there was so much pain and regret, and sadness and utter despair it made his heart ache... It made his heart ache in a sudden unbearable pain to see those tears in her eyes now, and he could only stare._

_"I can't..... You have to leave.... Please...." Her eyes glittered in the most unbearable pain, he felt his heart breaking. "... I don't want... To see any of you get hurt... I can't bear to watch you guys suffer... Or be in pain... I want you happy..... And you can't be happy in this Guild.... You have to go.... And you have to leave me behind.... Please....." The tears spilled over, small glittering trails falling down her cut and bruised cheeks softly,_

_How... Had he never seen this much pain... And sadness... In her....?_

_"... What do you mean.... You can't...?" He manage to stammer, her eyes closed again._

_"... I just... I can't..."_

_"Hora." He murmured softly, shaking off some of his shock and the sudden tearing he felt in his heart at seeing her like this, he pushed it all away a moment. "Please.... I want to understand..... Why do you believe that you can't leave?" She didn't reply, and he let out a small Tch, his eyes narrowing a little as he softly lay his hand on her arm. ".... You've been hiding something all these years, something deep and dark.. And clearly painful.... We're friends, we are Family.... Please just talk to me."_ _She shook her head a little,_

_".... Rogue.... I can't tell you... I'm sorry...."_

Rogue's eyes flashed, a wash of understanding and panic hitting him straight on.

_He's..... the reason Hora said she can't leave...?!_

Sting stared, his heart skipping a beat as his thoughts suddenly clicked together too- his attention riveted on Natsu, his rage, his words-

_Master Jiemma.... he's done something to make her feel like that...?! Like she's.... trapped?!_

_"... She says she can't leave the Guild." Rogue murmured, Sting shook his head roughly, suddenly seeming to grow agitated._

_"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Its not as if she's a pet or something! She's a free, living person, and has every right to do what she wants! How could she even think that?! What a stupid idea... Idiot...!" Sting hissed, his voice rising unintentionally as his eyes flashed in irritation. It didn't make any sense to him, how could she really think she couldn't leave the Guild? So much so she told them to leave her behind?_

_All that pain, that guilt- the fear they'd seen in her? The reason she was crying..?!_

_Jiemma... he's done something, and Hora can't tell us....!?_

Of all the things they'd seen Jiemma do, all the wrongs- all the cruelty, all of it.... nothing burned more fiercely in the hearts as the sheer rage that ignited at the idea.

"Why the hell can't she tell anyone about it?! Why does she have to keep everything all bent up and stuffed inside of herself?!" Natsu was still going, jumping forward into the air toward the both of Sting and Rogue, Magic blazing and the air near too hot to breathe.

_And all that dread and fear and worry they had been feeling for the last few weeks since Jiemma had attacked her suddenly hit a high, it all amplified and became so much worse as they realized the full extent of how hurt she was. They nearly lost her, and they were still losing her._

_Her shoulders hunched slightly, her smile growing more strained by the minute as her eyes closed._

_"Please..?" She asked quietly, her voice starting to shake. She let out a strained chuckle that sounded choked. "Come on y-you guys... I'm barely keeping it together here, just a-answer the question already, this is already hard enough..." Her body was trembling too, her knees threatening to give out._

_Her eyes shut, the tears spilling faster as her pressed together hands folded in on themselves, tight and gripping at her shirt as if she was holding on for dear life._

What had he done... to hurt her like that? So deeply? Like he'd scored across not only her body, but her soul too...?

They forgot to try and move, watching in stiff silence and their minds racing as Natsu came down at them- his body blazing all around in brilliant orange,

"HOW CAN YOU EVEN CALL THIS GUY MASTER AFTER WHAT HE'S DONE?!"

Sting and Rogue stiffened, their bodies reacting at the last second as their eyes snapped closed, their arms lifting to guard them- all will to keep fighting and keep up face in front of Master Jiemma was shattered.

"Fire Devil's:"

Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening at the low, steely voice of out nowhere-

"Guardian Circle!!!!!"

A powerful waft of air rushed up, slamming straight into everyone in the building hard enough to make them step back to regain their balance- their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat that had them sweating instantly.

The glow of gold and blue lit up the room and bounced from the stone, heat wafting around through the air in wild waves as Natsu's attack crashed against the sheer, near solid wall of flame that erupted around Sting and Rogue in a circle, the air shaking violently at the sheer power that came from the clashing together fire.

Natsu's feet hit the ground, eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily as his eyes snapped on to the figure that had suddenly appeared in the very center of that storm of fire- the flames surrounding her body and never leaving a single mark-

Sting and Rogue gulped, their jaws dropping as their eyes shot open, spotting her in an instant as the azure blue fire swirled, swallowing the orange whole as if it was some great, hungry beast- before it shifted too, spiraling out of the air and down toward her- her mouth open wide as she ate every single last shred of flame, until it was gone- and her jaw snapped shut.

Every inch of fire- gone, eaten- in _seconds._

Hora didn't pause, her face dark and her eyes locked straight on to Natsu with a look of sheer, icy fury- her feet bringing her forward toward him in a single second as she swung her fist back, her hand pitch black.

Natsu recoiled, his eyes going round and panic hitting him straight on.

_"ENOUGH!"_

The sound of Hora's fist connecting with Natsu's cheek was loud, a torrent of air sprung up from the impact and rushed out on all sides- the pinkette launched straight backward and across the room with enough force to have leveled a building it felt like.

Natsu yelped as he smashed into the wall, coughing as his body bounced off the stone, Hora halted where she was.

The building went deathly silent, every eye on her and nearly every one of them trembling.

The look on Hora's face was nothing they had ever see in her before; deep, raging anger that had her lips curled in a snarl, her deep blue eyes icy and yet like an inferno at the same time- her entire countenance was that of someone who was oh so very _done._

"Whatever idiotic nonsense this is about, I don't give a shit." Hora snapped across the hall, her eyes locking onto Natsu as he slowly pushed himself up the from the floor. He blinked, sweatdropping-

The Guild around them stared, hardly daring to breath- because the Hora they saw now, for the very first time- that wasn't her. She slapped on one of those Faces the rest of the Guild had grown so used to putting on for the world, and the one she chose so suddenly- was terrifying and cold. And oh so very _merciless_ , the way they felt hearing the venom in her voice could have rivaled that of what they had heard in Minerva and Jiemma both.

"Don't think you can come in here and start spouting so much bullshit- or destroy our inn, attack our Guild- and get away with it, _little Fairy."_

They shuddered, their hearts skipping a beat in an icy pang that chilled them to the core at how low her voice got, how dangerous her growl. Natsu swallowed, staring and motionless.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, and you have no clue who you're messing with." Hora snarled lowly, "You can be sure that SaberTooth is going to ground you into a bloody pulp in the Games now, you will not get away with any of this."

A shadow passed over her eyes, her icy stare locked straight onto Natsu as he recoiled slightly.

"The only reason I'm not going to turn you into ash right now is because that would disqualify SaberTooth in the Games." She hissed, her words cutting. "And you can be assured, the only reason Sting and Rogue didn't beat your ass right now is for the same reason, Fairy."

"You and that Guild of yours are _done_ for."

Natsu shivered, his breath shaking slightly as he glared, eyes narrowed to slits.

"Did I say you could interrupt this?"

Hora's eyes flashed, her eyes narrowing slightly at the utterly low growl. She forced herself a breath, the shadow passing from her eyes as she brought them up to meet the piercing glare of Master Jiemma. She could feel both Sting and Rogue tense up behind her,

"Forgive me, Master." Hora replied, her tone utterly cool. "I did not see the point of letting this fool continue with his idiocy."

"I do not care what you see fit or do not- wretch." Jiemma growled, Hora blinked, her expression never altering from that stony neutrality. She stiffened slightly, seeing his hand lift as he drew his fingers in air toward her-

The air was cut by a high-pitched, cutting sound that whined- a sudden burst of invisible force detonating next to Hora and slamming straight into the left side of her jaw, knocking her off balance instantly as she hissed. Her skin bruised instantly from the hit that sent a wave of air out around it. She took a few steps sideways, managing to stay on her feet and hardly reacting to the hit at all-

Lector and Frosch let out startled mews, Rufus and Orga taking a small steps forward as their eyes flashed. Rogue and Sting stared, their eyes fixed on Hora as she stayed standing in front of them, looking no less stony as she let her eyes fall closed.

"The next time you step into something you do not belong, be sure you will receive worse!" Jiemma boomed dangerously, Hora nodded.

"I understand, Master." She replied levelly, Natsu growled.

"You bastard!!! Leave her out of this!!"

Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing as Natsu launched forward toward Jiemma in a burst of anger again- orange flames circling his body as gold suddenly glittered among them too, lightning.

"Lightning-Flame Dragon's:"

_Damn it...!_

Jiemma shifted, Magical Pressure sparking off of him as he readied himself for the attack.

"Demolition Fist!!"

The building shook under their feet, the windows shattering outward as Magic bounced up around the both of them and suddenly arced up toward the roof- blowing a hole through it as the conflict shuddered to a halt again.

Hora sweatdropped, her stony expression breaking slightly as she felt a pang of fear hit her- she flinched slightly though, her eyes snapping shut against her will, Rogue and Sting noticed the reaction instantly.

Natsu's attack hadn't hit the Master at all, it'd been moved- and in between the both of Natsu and Jiemma stood the familiar figure of SaberTooth's Lady- a cool smile on her lips as she held her hands up between the both of them, unperturbed.

"Tch.." Hora hissed, her eyes opening again as she clenched her fists at her sides. Sting and Rogue stepped closer behind her, she waved her hand back toward them in a motion for silence-

"Huh..?" Natsu growled, Jiemma growled.

Minerva hummed lightly, her hands falling on to her hips as her Magic faded. "Hmm, certainly you'll agree- but this little quarrel of yours has gone too far."

"Tch... what?" Natsu hissed,

"How dare you get in my way, this does not concern you." Jiemma growled, Minerva smiled still.

"Forgive me, you could have easily defeated this man, so I'm not doing this for your sake, Father." Minerva replied lightly, Natsu went rigid.

"... Father..?!" He hissed,

_She's that bastards daughter...?!_

His fists clenched,

_These two, they're the ones Hora warned me about...!_

Minvera didn't seem to care Natsu said anything, she just continued on. "But we must take into account what this altercation will look like to the outside world." She smiled slightly at Natsu, "Despite the fact that you are clearly the aggressor here- our Master killing a competitor will leave SaberTooth in an awkward position. That at least I do agree on, with Horatia." Hora sweatdropped slightly, "And it would certainly put a damper on the Games, wouldn't you say?"

"Tch... you know what I think? I think you're scared of seeing me beat this guy's ass into the ground!" Natsu snapped back,

"You have enraged both my father and his men- and they are not the types to take this kind of provocation lightly." Minerva answered ever easily, Hora swallowed slightly as she watched Minerva's lips pull up in a smirk.

_That look..._

"What do you say? Will you allow me to resolve this in a peaceful manner?" The Lady asked coolly, Natsu glared. Minerva's hands moved up, her palms hovering over eachother as her Magic flared.

Hora felt her heart stop.

"Be aware, that is the only way your kitten will be returned to you." Minerva hummed,

"N-Natsu...!!" Happy wailed, tears in his eyes and bound tightly by rope as Minerva held him in her hands. Hora's shoulders tightened, her hands clenching harder at her sides.

_Minerva...._

"Happy!" Natsu hissed,

"I-I'm sorry Natsu...! She snuck up on me...!!" Happy wailed, Minerva chuckled slightly. Natsu sweatdropped,

"... shit..."

"You seem to have taken out your anger on quite a few of our members in your prattling," Minerva hummed, "But I am willing to overlook this incident entirely if you cooperate." She pulled Happy closer, rubbing his head with a smirk. "Behave like a grown-up and we can continue the Games normally like nothing ever happened."

Hora's eyes fell, immediately seeing the anger and fear in Natsu's face- and the annoyance too, he didn't want to back down so quickly but he didn't have a choice.

He lowered his head a little, shaking as he let out a breath- Minerva let Happy go once it was clear he wouldn't be fighting any longer.

"N-Natsuuu!!" Happy cried, running into the Dragon Slayer and holding on for dear life. "I'm so sorry..!"

"Don't worry Little Buddy, I should be the one apologizing for running off like that." Natsu murmured, patting Happy's head as his eyes cast sideways toward where Hora was motionless, her eyes closed and silent.

"I-it's ok...!" Happy mumbled, Natsu picked him up in his arms, his eyes falling on the Exceed as he swallowed.

"... let's go home." He mumbled, slowly heading toward the destroyed remains of the inn's entryway.

"We can settle this matter in the Arena," Minerva hummed at his back, her face darkening. "Where we will show you no mercy."

Hora stiffened a little,

_Don't stop, Natsu... keep walking...._

"Tch... fine." Natsu growled, "But you'll never beat us, we're at a whole other level than you." Natsu glanced over his shoulder, his eyes flashing as she settled them all with a barely muffled glare.

"Cause a real Guild treats it's Members like Family, no matter what." He growled, everyone else just returned the look, neutral-faced, silent. He hissed under his breath, his eyes lingering on where Hora was for a few seconds, before he walked out.

"That's why I came."

_.... like family...?_

_..... we know...but..._

_..... what do we do...?_

"Tch..... I call dibs on the first event tomorrow, I'm gonna show those losers what SaberTooth is really like." Orga grumbled, his own Face setting up again, though the feeling the events left didn't go away- Rufus beside him too regaining his composure slightly with a small nod.

The Guild wouldn't forget what was said though, none of them... they knew things needed change, but still they saw no end to it. Not one... not yet.

"Indeed... your Black Lightning will make their souls tremble." Rufus murmured lightly,

"We will be taking appropriate measures in response to this disrespect, I assure you." Minerva hummed lightly, ".... hmm, though I will admit, disturbances like this do make the Games more exciting." She smirked, "And since Yukino is no longer with us, I shall take it upon myself to fill her vacancy."

There were small smirks that spread throughout the people, forced a little... but still, their other selves flared again.

_Master is watching... and the Lady too._

"I see your Mission was a success," Minerva hummed, her eyes moving over toward Hora, who looked up at the comment, her gaze level. "Very good, the money from the Magic Council will surely be more than enough to pay for the damage that fool caused here."

".... yes, My Lady." Hora murmured,

"Hmm, and such ruthlessness against the Fairy just now." Minerva smirked, "I see your punishment about betraying the Guild before was sufficient, as you've now seen the error of your ways, hmm?"

"... yes." Hora replied, the dangerous glint working it's way into her expression again, her voice a growl that sent shivers up so many people's spines. "My loyalty is to SaberTooth, and nowhere else... I will gladly burn every member of Fairy Tail into ash, if you wished it, My Lady."

Sting and Rogue swallowed, their eyes narrowed at Hora's back- they honestly couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, this sudden act she put on was just.... too good.

"Very good!" Minerva smiled wickedly, "For now, you runts clean up this mess." Her hand swept out toward the people on the left side of the room, "Father, I assumed you'd like to discuss my Mission, yes?" He gave her a small glare that she took as answer.

"Everyone else, back to your rooms. I think that's enough excitement for the night." Minerva ordered easily, the whole of the Guild nodding.

"Yes, My Lady."

Hora's head twitched a little as the room lit up with noise, letting out a low breath. Rogue and Sting saw her do it, their eyes falling on her again and eyes widening-

There was a trail of blood dribbling down from the inside of Hora's left ear and down her neck, her cheek bruising already from the hit the Master had thrown her way.

 _'The harshness you used against that Fairy Tail boy,'_ Lixue hummed, _'... it wasn't all an act. You really are angry with him.'_

Hora's eyes flashed,

_'... so angry it's like ice.'_

* * *

 

_"I'll talk to you two later, get some sleep."_

_"You sure?"_

_"I'm sure... I know you probably have questions, but right now... I am really not in the mood."_

_"... very well, Hora."_

Orga and Rufus retired to their own rooms with little argument, they could see Hora's nerves wearing, and quickly- and the thought of her anger in the middle of that conflict?

They weren't going to argue, she really did not look to be in any sort of mood at all.

Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue jumped slightly as Hora closed the door to the room with an audible snap- her eyes glittering and cold as she stared at the floor, her entire countenance rigid and _shaking._

_... that..... fucking....... IDIOT!!!_

Her fists slammed back against the door, the four in the room with her flinching slightly.

_I told him not to! I explicitly told him to stay the HELL out of it!_

_And he goes around, yelling all that shit out loud?! What did he think was gonna happen?! He's goddamn lucky it looks like Master and Minerva thought he was talking nonsense!!_

_He's fucking lucky Minerva stepped in before Jiemma killed him too!!_

_Fuck, what did I say about getting involved with Fairy Tail?_

_It always ends up screwing me over!_

"Tch....... " Hora hissed,

_.... how did Natsu... even figure all of that out....?!_

"Sit down!" She ordered sharply, her eyes snapping up to rest her steely glare on all four of them. They jumped, immediately sitting down cross-legged on the floor and at full attention, looking incredibly nervous.

Hora hissed, her cheek throbbing painfully and her left ear ringing at the sound of her own voice- they perked up at the show of pain instantly,

"Hora, you're bleeding...!" Rogue and Sting told her quickly,

"Tch.... shut up!" She snapped, wincing again. They grimaced,

"... No! You can't just just tell us to leave it alone this time...!" Sting hissed back,

"Atia, everything that Natsu was saying, about there being a reason you've never fought back against Master...!" Lector said quietly,

"Leave it alone!" Hora cut him off instantly, "Don't listen to a damn thing that stupid damned Salamander was yapping about! He had no right to charge in here and no right to go around spouting crap like that!" Her eyes flashed, "He has no idea what he's talking about! You four need to leave this alone and focus on the Games!"

"... how the hell do you expect us to leave it alone..?!" Sting snapped, she winced at the loudness.

"He wasn't just talking nonsense, Hora....!" Rogue growled, "... he... he knew about it, about what you said that night... about not being able to leave the Guild...!"

"Be quiet!" Hora hissed, he flinched as she swept her hand out in front of her- a line of fire forming in the shape of runes.

"Tch... shit... fucking... damn it.. _Natsu_..!" Hora hissed, turning her back on them and the Runes following her lead, moving out around her and growing in number to stick themselves along the walls all around them, trapping them in something of a circle. A Spell to dull down their voices in case anyone was listening in,

She hissed, sinking down to sit on her heels, her hand moving up to wipe away the blood dripping from her ear. They stiffened, their eyes wide in worry and confusion as they shifted, inching closer a little.

"....... tch... I told him to stay out of it..." She growled, they blinked. Her hands pressed against the floor as she leaned over a little, shaking still- though they weren't sure if it was because of her anger or something else now. "... I told him I had to handle it.... he could have.... fucked so much up... just rushing in here like that.... idiot....!"

"Hora... please, tell us what is going on..?!" Lector mewed, his ears falling against his head. Frosh reached out with a paw, trembling still as the Exceed moved to sit beside Hora,

"Does the Master really have something to do with why you can't leave the Guild...?" Sting hissed,

"What has he done, Hora? We need to know... it's passed time you told us..!" Rogue told her lowly,

_I can't tell you.. because I know you. And I know how you'll react._

"No." Hora growled, her tone flinty as she settled her gaze on them, unwavering. "What I said that night has nothing to do with what Natsu said. There's nothing he has on me." They blinked, looking taken aback. "The reason I can't leave has nothing to do with Jiemma having something on me. I can't leave because.... because I can't bear the thought of leaving anyone here to deal with that asshole alone." They stiffened, "I've been in this Guild longer than anyone, I was here before Jiemma took over and I've seen all the awful shit he's done. I can't leave this Guild or anyone in it, not with how cruel he is.... I... I should have fought harder, to keep him from taking over the Guild all those years ago. He's hurt so many people and I could have avoided all of it."

Their eyes flashed, sweatdropping slightly.

"I want to fix this Guild... but I wanna do it my way. I have to do it my way, it should have fallen on me to start with and it's on me now." Her eyes fell, "..... hearing that Jiemma... what he did with Yukino..... it pissed me off, pissed me off so much I was gonna rush in here and demand for blood. His blood." She hissed, shaking her head. "... but I can't do that. Stopping Jiemma can't be done by...... killing him. That's the sort of thing my Magic makes me want to do, but I can't be that... I can't be what my Magic is always trying to force me to be."

They watched her silently, their eyes glittering as they seemed to deflate a little.

"... I have to find some way to take Jiemma down, on my own terms... I can't leave until I've stopped him. Until SaberTooth is free of him, and he won't have opportunity to do to other people what he's been doing to us." She took in a sharp breath,

_I wish it wasn't this easy to lie_

".... that's why, alright?" She mumbled, her eyes moving up toward them again. "That's why I can't leave, that's what Natsu was talking about.. but he got it wrong, alright? Not leaving is _my_ choice... I just can't live with myself if I turn my back on what Jiemma does."

The looks on their faces, they were believing her... believing the lie.

 _'You are very good at lying.'_ Lixue commented,

"So please..... please just focus on the Games right now, alright? I don't want you guys to get in trouble, like Yukino.... I just need time to figure out what I'm going to do." Hora mumbled, "... you don't need to be worried I'm in danger or anything, I'm not. I'm just... frustrated."

".... is that really... why..?" Sting mumbled softly, she nodded. ".... Hora.... why didn't you tell us this forever ago...?"

"... because I was ashamed to admit it?" She mumbled, ".... I don't want you guys in danger, and you are in danger being here.... that's why I wanted you to leave without me.... but I know you won't, because I know you'll stay with me regardless of anything...and I love you all so much for it. I really do.... I just feel... selfish, almost."

"Atia.." Lector and Frosch mewed,

"... that is literally about as far from selfish as anybody can be." Sting grumbled, his eyes flashing. She blinked at him,

"Yeah! You just wanna keep people safe, Hora!" Lector told her,

"You should have told us sooner, Hora... we could have been trying to help you come up with a plan." Sting mumbled, she nodded slightly.

"... sorry." She sighed, "... but really, you can't right now... the Games are your first priority, alright?" He sweatdropped slightly, "... you need to keep your head in the game, promise me that." Her eyes flicked to Rogue, who blinked "Both of you."

"...... alright, Hora." They mumbled in unison, she smiled slightly.

"Thank you." She sighed,

"Now, seriously- are you ok?" Sting hissed, "Your ear is still bleeding, ya know." Hora blinked, sweatdropping slightly.

_They believe me so easy..._

"...ah... well my ear is still kinda ringing..." She grumbled, "... but it should be fine in a little, my cheek too... all things considered, he really didn't hit me that hard." She shook her head a little, "... I found Yukino, by the way..."

They all leaned in, eyes wide and interest peaked in an instant.

"Is she ok..?!"

"... she seemed pretty alright, considering." Hora mumbled, "I told her I would come back to see her soon, I hope she doesn't leave Crocus too quickly...."

"..... we.... we should apologize to her..." Sting stammered, his hands clenching in his lap. "... what Master did.... it wasn't right...." Hora sweatdropped,

"..... you will get the chance, I promise...." Hora sighed, ".... Yukino understands why you guys couldn't.... she knows. She's not gonna blame you for anything."

"I hope you're right, Atia..." Lector mumbled, Frosch snuggled into her lap.

"I miss Yukino..." The little Exceed mumbled,

".... I know.."

* * *

 

"Hora."

Hora blinked, sitting up quickly from laying in bed at the voice- her eyes flashing in the dark as she sweatdropped.

She'd left Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch to go to sleep about an hour ago- she'd gone to her own room with the intent of doing the same... though it hadn't quite worked, she was still too wound up. She'd taken time instead to write a letter to Yukino, hoping maybe it would calm her down once she tried to sleep again...... But she'd been staring up at the roof in sheer silence for another hour, and had hardly moved- her thoughts consumed in worry and anger and disdain...

She recognized that new voice in an instant though, her eyes narrowed as she stood up from the bed, looking into the deepest shadows at the edge of the room.

"... why are you acting all creepy, Rogue?" Hora mumbled, quirking a brow as said Shadow Dragon Slayer stepped from the shadows, seemingly melting from them. She blinked, his red eyes fixed on her and his face serious as all _hell_. ".... what's with the face...?"

He sighed slightly, walking forward toward her as she let her hand rest on her hip. He halted in front of her, his eyes fixed as she blinked. This was a little off, even for him- too quite, too... Neutral.

".... seriously.... what is wrong with you...?" She mumbled quietly,

"You lied." He replied softly, Hora went rigid.

"..w...what...?" She breathed, his eyes narrowed slightly, his lips pulling into a small frown.

"You lied, when you told us the reason you couldn't leave the Guild." He murmured softly, "I know you lied, Hora. I could hear it in your voice."

She smiled nervously, backing up slightly. ".... h..huh...? Seriously, that's why you're creeping around the shadows...? I didn't lie..." He blinked, shifting forward toward her as she backed up again.

"Hora..." He murmured, "... please, I saw it in your eyes that night you woke up, after Master...." He bit the inside of his cheek, "...... you were _afraid_ , there's something else.... when Natsu said that Master had something on you.... it made sense." Hora sweatdropped, ".... you could beat Master, you could fight back... you could do it without killing him." Rogue murmured, "... but you've always taken whatever he threw at you, you always just let yourself suffer.... and it never made any sense why, but it does with what Natsu said."

"...... I already told you..." Hora mumbled, trying to cut him off-

" _No_." He growled, his tone flinty suddenly. Hora flinched, her back hitting the wall she'd backed up into without consciously meaning to. Rogue halted in front of her, his hands falling on either side of her and pressing up against the wall, a gesture and action that blocked her from moving to get out of his reach, or move to the door.

"Hora, I can see it written all over your face. There's something you're hiding still, something that hurts... something _bad_." Rogue growled, "You wouldn't have gotten so worked up that Natsu showed up and said all of that unless it was true. He was _right,_ Master is holding something over your head- and whatever it is, it's bad enough you've been willing to suffer under his cruelty for years." He sweatdropped, swallowing a little as he shook his head. "You can't tell me you didn't lie... not when the first thing you did after telling us, was make sure we _dropped_ it. That we wouldn't do anything that meant going against the Master. You wanted nothing more than to change the subject, avoid it altogether."

His eyes flashed, his fangs grinding down on eachother. Hora felt her heart drop, her eyes shinning as she saw fear and worry work it's way into his expression, so deep and so powerful it was...

"... Hora... _please_....." he hissed, his shoulders shaking slightly. "... please tell me what's really going on.... I can't take it.... knowing there's something wrong... knowing you've been keeping it hidden for so long.... even if it ended up tearing you up inside........ It's really that bad...? That you felt you couldn't tell us...?" His eyes fell closed, his entire countenance growing rigid- his voice shaking slightly.

Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes snapping shut- her stomach flipped and her heart went with it.

"... stop." She hissed, ".... I..... I can't..... Rogue..... If I do......."

"Hora, you don't have to feel like you're alone!" He hissed, "You don't have to feel like you need to keep everything to yourself!" He broke off, realizing in an instant his voice had gotten harsher than he liked. He shook his head at himself, ".... Hora, please. Tell me... I want to help you."

He tilted forward slightly, his forehead resting against hers lightly as one of her hands moved up to keep him back- it barely helped. Her eyes glinted in the dim of the room as her breath caught in her throat,

"..... Look..... I hate this, I've been so wound up since Master hurt you... Since you got so bad." Rogue mumbled, "...... I saw the pain inside of you that night Hora, you can pretend and promise all you like... I can't forget what I saw, and what I know. And I know you... I know you well enough now to see it when you're lying, and you _lied._ There is something else going on, something you've been keeping yourself from saying..... I am worried, Hora. I have been worried for months now, please.... I don't know if I can take being in the dark anymore."

He let out a low, shaky breath, his voice growing a little hoarser, enough so Hora felt her heart ache.

He was in so much pain, so much fear and sorry all wrapped up and wound into a giant knot around his very soul- so tight it was suffocating him. He'd been struggling for breath ever since that day Jiemma had beat her so hard he thought she might die- he'd been drowning, falling deeper into that ocean of fear and concern and he was still sinking. Faster now as she struggled to keep her posture and her conviction up right there in front of him, when he saw her force herself back and it hurt her to do it.

She tried, struggling and pushing against herself- telling herself in her head over and over again;

_You can't! You can't... He can't know... Not when he might get himself hurt or killed or.. no...!_

He saw the true and sheer fear light up in her deep blue eyes, and it felt like his heart cracked. He could practically see it, something swirling under the surface, something biting away, clawing, trying to fight free- she kept it locked up and it was killing her as much as it was killing him to see it.

He could never unsee it- not any of it, it had haunted his dreams for months, haunted him still... Maybe even haunted him as much as the things she had haunting her.

".... I'll do anything...... I just want you help you, Hora... Please....... Please help me understand......" Rogue's voice nearly cracked, so low and so soft he was barely above a whisper. Hora swallowed, biting hard onto her cheek as her eyes snapped shut- she wanted to pull away, wanted space between them. Wanted to leave and wanted to quit feeling his breath wash up against her face, have enough space between them she couldn't feel the warmth coming off his body.... space enough she couldn't see the pain etched into his face.

Her heart twisted so painfully she almost hissed, swallowing hard against it as she felt her legs starting to shake.

There was terror in her core, fear that cut deeper than anything else- worse than the nightmares, worse than that day she earned her Magic. This was the worst thing, the truest, deepest fear inside of her- fear they would ever know, fear of what they would do when they did know.... fear of what would happen to them.

_I can't.... he'll.... you might get killed....._

"........ Hora....... please trust me...." Rogue mumbled, his forehead pressed against hers a bit more, their hair mixing- black on fiery orange. "....... I don't want you to feel so afraid, or alone... not anymore..... you have me, you always have.... I just need you to see it.... trust me, Hora.... I just want to help you....."

She stiffened underneath him, her eyes shutting tighter as she sucked in one, small, sharp breath, her hands fists at her sides.

_God... damn....it....._

_'Are you....?'_ Lixue asked softly,

"....... f....fucking..... damn it... Rogue......" Hora muttered, her voice hoarse and shaking. He swallowed at the sound, his eyes flashing as he pulled back a little, trying to get a better look at her face, it was hidden in shadow as she tilted it down quickly. She let out a shaky breath, and sucked it in way too quickly, his eyes widened a little at the sound- she sounded almost like she was... gasping.

"........ I... I trust you... I just....." She choked out, "...... I'm... I'm fucking.... te...terrified...... that y...you.... _shit_." Her shoulders hunched, he swallowed, his hands lifting off the wall and hovering over her shoulders, but hesitating to touch her.

"... Hora..." He breathed, she shook her head.

"..... fuck.... just.... just promise me... Rogue. You have to _promise_ me... you won't tell Sting... or Lector... or Frosch... you can't tell anybody else.... if I tell you.... you keep it to yourself... you can't run off... you can't do anything to try.... try and stop it... change it..... you have to fucking swear to me... you have to keep it....!" Hora hissed, her voice trembling, her body falling suit as she pushed herself against the wall for support- her legs felt like they were going to give out on her. Rogue stared, a bead of sweat falling down his face as he saw her struggling to just... stand.

"... Hora... what do...?"

" _Promise_ me, Rogue. And you had better fucking keep it..!" Hora snapped, but her voice broke halfway through and he flinched at the sound.

"... I.. I swear.... you can trust me Hora... I'll do whatever you want... please just tell me.." He told her quickly, she sucked in another breath that was borderline a _sob._

Her hands unclenched, one of them lifting as she grabbed hold of his shirt- he wasn't sure why she did, but her hold was so tight he couldn't have moved even if he wanted to. He stood utterly still, his eyes watching her as her other hand moved up, placing itself against her chest, shaking.

She shuddered, swallowing hard as her head tilted back up- and he felt his heart drop into his feet.

The dim light in the room shimmered off the line of tears that fell from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and splattering against the floor as she bit back the shuddering, sobbing breaths threatening to break her voice altogether.

_She's crying.... she....._

"..... There's a Lacrima in my chest." Hora whispered, "... it's connected with my Magic.... it keeps me alive..... and Jiemma's put a Possession Link on it." She broke off, hissing as she went rigid underneath him- his jaw dropped slightly.

"... tch.... you can't break Possession Links..... they have to be removed by the people who place them..... Jiemma's had it on me since he took over the Guild.... I can't run, I can't leave.... he'll find me no matter where I go...." Her eyes flashed, her hand on her chest balling around her shirt as she held on to his a little tighter. "..... he can destroy the Lacrima whenever he wants.... with a single thought...... and if he does...... it'll kill me...."

Rogue went pale, his eyes round and his entire person shaking in sheer horror.

"..... I couldn't tell anyone.... I couldn't tell _you_..... if you confront Jiemma about it, he will kill me....... and he'll kill _you_ too." Hora swallowed, "... I don't want you to die.... you can't tell anyone Rogue... you cannot confront Jiemma about this.... you have to keep this a secret....." She gasped, her body shuddering as she tried and failed to stifle the sob that rose up her throat, her tears streaming faster.

"..... please... please don't do anything.... I don't want you dead..." Hora whimpered, her eyes glinting feverishly as she slid a few inches down the wall when her legs shook too much to keep her held up. His hovering hands moved this time, and he grabbed on to her quickly, trying to keep her steady but she was shuddering so hard, so violently- her breathing getting worse by the second as she crumbled right there in front of him. Her eyes snapped shut, both of her hands holding to the front of his shirt now. ".... please..... yo... you promised..... y..you have to keep it..... please.... Rogue...."

_This.... this can't be.... real...._

He felt like he couldn't breath, he was frozen in his spot, mind racing and yet shuddered to a sudden, grinding halt.

_Jiemma had a Possession Link on something..... that she needed to live? A Lacrima implanted inside of her, not unlike the ones they had inside of he and Sting...?_

He felt like his heart skipped a beat,

 _Jiemma can kill her, with a snap of his fingers..... he's been hanging this over her head for almost a decade...?!_ _What the hell.... how could anyone....... what sort of Monster....?!_

".... please..... please I can't.... lose you.... any of you....." Hora gasped, Rogue's jaw snapped shut, his eyes glittering as he sucked in a sharp breath of air.

Near a decade with Jiemma having his hands wrapped around a piece of herself..... and still the only thing she's really been scared of? More than a threat on her own life?

_She's more afraid something might happen to us, than if something would ever happen to herself....?!_

"...pl...please...." Hora gasped, her voice getting lower by the second, weaker.

Hora's legs buckled, she started to slide down the wall and toward the floor, her hold on his shirt nearly lost- Rogue jumped, immediately holding on to her tighter, bending over and onto his knees as she sank to the floor, the tears spilling fast against her arms and onto her lap. She was starting to cry so hard she was having a hard time breathing, and she hadn't the will to keep herself standing-

She was terrified, and the thing that terrified her more than anything she had just told him about Jiemma.... Was that he might get hurt if he were to confront that absolute, utter, bastard about it. And he wanted to- the anger that filled him up when he knew was unlike anything else, the rage and the horror that went with it. He wanted to make Jiemma pay, he wanted to tear into him and force him to release Hora. He'd had a chain around her neck all these years, trapped- her life in his hands and she was so afraid of what might happen to them if they found out about it... She lived with it in _silence!_

This was why she never said anything, this was why she didn't fight back- her life was on a thin line, ready to be snapped at any instant Jiemma saw fit.

_How can she be worried about us, through all of that...?!_

It wasn't logical- he wanted her to care about herself more- a part of him was furious she didn't, furious she felt she had to hide all of this.... And yet a part of him never loved her more, knowing she wanted to protect them that badly.

And he knew in an instant he had to keep his word... Even though he didn't want to. He had to stay, he had to do as she asked. But you can be sure as all hell he wasn't going to let her drop the issue, never. They had to talk about this, they had to find some way to fix this- and he vowed right then and there that they would. He was going to help save her whether she wanted him to or not... And he would do so without breaking his word.

He couldn't confront Jiemma, he knew that. He couldn't tell Sting- because he knew what Hora did, Sting wouldn't hesitate to go after Jiemma if he knew about this. He couldn't tell Lector or Frosch either, or anyone else... This would stay between the two of them, and he was going to do whatever it took to help her.... Free her.

But right now, what he needed to do was to not leave her.

Rogue sat down in front of her, leaning in as he inched closer, his arms wrapping around her shaking, gasping form as she sank into him, holding desperately on to him as if it was her attempt to make sure he wouldn't leave and run off and start something. She was leaning into him, nearly laying on him, in between his knees as her face got buried in his chest and his arms held around her body gently, his stomach twisting and knotting with every shake, every harsh breath, every sniffle.

"Shh... It's OK... I'm not going anywhere, Hora... I promise...." Rogue mumbled softly, his hand moving in soft, slight little circles on Hora's back, trying to get her to calm down.

_This woman I have seen cry more in the last few months than I have in near ten years...._

".... I'm not going anywhere.... I'm right here... I promise..."

_...... This woman I've had nightmares about losing for months now... This kind... Loyal.... Insanely strong woman....._

"..... Shhh.... just try and breathe..... I'm staying right here...... I won't break my promise... I swear to you...."

_...... I wish you'd told me a long time ago..... I would never do anything that would hurt you...... I'd never go against what you want, even if Jiemma does deserve hell and more...... I'd never put you in danger, not on anything....._

"..... Easy, Hora.... It's fine... I'm right here.... I'm not leaving..."

_...... You've spent your life thinking about protecting us......_

"...... I won't tell anyone.... I won't confront Jiemma..... Thank you.... For telling me..... I'm sorry.... I didn't know it was going to hurt you......"

_...... We should have been doing the same for you..._

"...... I'm sorry..... Shhhhhhhh...... breathe, Hora...... I promise..... I'll do whatever you need me to do.... I'm going to help you..... I'm not going anywhere, ever....... Please trust me..... I'm staying..... I'm not gonna do anything that you don't want... Or that'll hurt you.... I swear..... it's going to be OK....."

Her crying didn't stop for a very, very long time.... Probably close to an hour. He simply held her and she clung to him, shaking and gasping, his shirt wet and her cheeks and eyes red, her arms moved to hold tightly around his waist- he sat there, letting her lean on him, his hand stroking her back gently and murmuring little words, little comforting things, promising several times over and over again he wasn't leaving.

Her body stopped shaking, slowly, her breathing evening out again as her hold around his waist started to get slack- her weight in his lap getting heavier as exhaustion started to set in. What little bit she had kept herself from laying on top of him completely disappeared, her eyes heavy and stinging as her mind wavered towards unconsciousness she didn't want to give into- but fighting it was just too hard.

He was warm against her, and she was the same to him.... But this warmth was different from the heat that came with her Magic. This warmth was pleasant, soothing.....

Rogue blinked, his head tilting down and sideways to see her eyes had dropped closed, her cheeks still flushed and wet, her breathing still a little shaky- but she was out, her head resting in the crook of his elbow and drifting off in seconds as her arms fell a little more around his waist, catching in his cloak and saving them dropping to the floor. Her hair fell in tangled, messy little stands about her face, tickling his arm and the scar across her nose. Her jaw and cheek on her left side were bruised still and warm from the hit Jiemma had sent her way when Natsu had rushed in.... It looked painful enough, and he wondered if her ear was still ringing or hurting like she had said it was earlier.

He let out a breath, his head hanging slightly as his shoulders sagged, his free hand still resting gently on her back as he swallowed at the lump in his throat.

To have had that locked up for so long, to have been burying it under fear and anger and worry for so many years.... He supposed it really wasn't a surprise she had reacted like this, broken down and crumbled. Maybe telling someone, maybe even crying so hard... Maybe it would leave room to let her pick back and feel better. Lift a little of the weight of the secret off of her shoulders, make it easier to breath..... Even if it has hurt this much to tell him, he hoped when she woke up it would be better.

"... I'm sorry..." he breathed, the apology making its way passed his lips without really thinking about it. "...... I didn't know you were hurting this much, Hora...." His eyes flashed,

..... a Possession Link..... On a Lacrima implanted in her body? He'd never realized her Magic came from a Lacrima, and wasn't simply something she had learned firsthand... Though granted up until recently he hadn't even known what kind of Magic she used either.

He knew little about Possession Links, he had heard of them before hand and he knew they were difficult to use. He also knew they were absolute, he knew they couldn't be broken and he knew that the objects taken control of, could be rendered useless to other people, even destroyed.... But they were used on weapons and rings and staffs and other things like that. Actual, usable, everyday objects- but a Lacrima? Inside of a _person?_

The very idea was wrong- it was cruel and it was insane. No one should ever even think to do something like that, let alone do it!

_...... Jiemma..... What a complete.. Utter...._

Rogue forced himself a breath before he got too worked up, he had to try and stay level-headed about it. If Hora saw him getting worked up and angry she might think he was about to race off and start something- and he didn't want to put her through that train of thought again, not when she broke down over it.

Hora shifted, her knees moving up as she adjusted a little, lying on her side a bit more, her nose burying itself deeper into his arm and sleeve, her body settling in against him a bit more as she let out a soft, deep breath. Rogue blinked, before his eyes fell closed and he ran his hand along her back lightly, stopping at her shoulder as he sighed.

"........ good night, Hora............."


	22. Pandemonium Begins!

**Chapter 2** **2**

**Pandemonium Begins!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

.:+:.

"How could you be so stupid?!"

Erza's voice cut like one of her swords, Natsu wilting under the shouted question as he sat on the floor in front of her like a child in trouble. He sweatdropped, his arms crossed over his chest and pointedly looking away from her entirely as she seethed above him- along with Gray, Carla and Lucy looking just as annoyed. Happy stood by his Partner looking uneasy, but saying nothing- Wendy was watching them off to the side a little, her eyes flicking between Erza and toward the very visible bruise on Natsu's cheek.

"Yeah man, did you even use your brain?!" Gray snapped,

"You could have gotten Fairy Tail disqualified from the Games!" Erza snapped, "Not to mention gotten yourself arrested with all the mayhem you caused!"

"What were you even thinking, Natsu..?!" Lucy growled,

Natsu sweatdropped a little more, his eyes narrowed at the floor as Happy let out a small mew beside him. "Natsu..."

"... I said I was sorry, alright?" Natsu growled lowly, "... I get it, starting a fight was... Dumb.... I was just..... Worked up." Happy's ears fell a little,

"Whatever quarrel you've drummed up with SaberTooth, you cannot act on your frustrations outside of the Games!" Erza hissed, "Fight with them if you must, but do no lose sight of our true objective. We must do well in the Grand Magic Games in order to restore this country's faith in our Guild, and bring ourselves back out of the debt and shadow we have fallen into. If you have issues with SaberTooth, use that as fuel to beat them in the Games, they are likely to be our toughest opponents by far."

"... mm... right..." Natsu mumbled, his shoulders hunching slightly as his eyes dropped closed. Erza let out an agitated sigh and shook her head, turning her back on him as she stalked across to her bed and sat down with a huff. Gray shook his head at him too and walked away as well, Lucy let out a long sigh as her shoulders sagged and Wendy paced toward him a little.

"Uhm... Natsu-san.... you look like you got hit pretty hard." Wendy mumbled, her hands folded together. "Let me heal that, alright...?"

"No." He told her lowly, Wendy flinched a little at the reply, her eyes widening a little as Natsu shook his head at her- his eyes meeting hers for a half a second, before he glanced into his lap. "Sorry, Wendy... just leave it.... I think I deserve this one..." He mumbled,

Wendy, Lucy and Happy all blinked in confusion at the words, and the way in which his voice seemed to drop. He let out a low breath, his eyes trailing outside the window, a frown pulling at his mouth as he swallowed a little.

"....... she was really pissed......but..."

His jaw clenched slightly,

"..... I didn't think she'd..... go that far...... I just....."

He shut his eyes, Happy's eyes glittered as his tail drooped and hit the floor.

"....... I wanted to get through to them...."

* * *

 

_She could feel her brother's hand in hers on the bedtop, his fingers locked with his lightly as his breathing deep and slow as he slept on, his head resting in his elbows. Her fever was gone, she could focus on the world around her regardless of how tired she was- and it was utterly, peacefully quiet._

_She was peaceful, no fitful dreams, no nightmares.... just warm, quiet bliss._

_She hadn't felt any semblance of calm like this in so, so long. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like._

_... wait, wasn't I...? I was with..._

Hora forced her heavy eyelids open, blinking a few times to get rid of the blurriness in the dim of the room.

_..... Rogue.... Wasn't... I....?_

She blinked, her eyes opening a little wider as her nose twitched- she could smell him, like night air and deep, damp earth.... But not cold, more warm, with something sweet mixed in.

She glanced up, her eyes trailing toward his face as he lay next to her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders as hers remained wrapped around his torso. The both of them pressed close and together in the bed, his breathing soft and deep and his hair a mess- her cheek resting against his chest as she felt her face grow a little hotter suddenly.

_..... What the....? When did we even.... I don't remember getting in bed... Or falling asleep for that matter...._

Her eyes flashed as she bit the inside of her cheek,

_....... I was crying after I......told him.... But what happened.....?_

She swallowed a little, her eyes falling a bit.

_...... Did I pass out....?_

She shut her eyes, her hold around him getting a little tighter for just half a second- before she pulled them back to herself. She nudged Rogue softly, patting his shoulder lightly and hardly able to pull away with him holding on to her like he was.

_..... Its pleasant... This.... I don't think I've slept that well in awhile.... He must have calmed me down enough that I did fall asleep in the end..._

"Rogue..." Hora murmured softly, he grumbled, shifting and pulling her closer- though he didn't wake up. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, she hated it but she felt herself blushing- and why not? Neither she nor he had ever even thought about sleeping in the same bed, let alone ever had.... And even if she had gotten into the situation of having to?

They were wrapped up in each others arms..!

 _'If not for that, however- you might have spent longer breaking down, Horatia.'_ Lixue intoned lightly, why did he sound amused? She shook the thought off,

".... Rogue.... Please wake up..." Hora murmured, ".... It's almost morning..."

He let out a low, long breath, his eyes fluttering open tiredly as he seemed to be trying to come to terms with what was going on and where he was. His red eyes moved down toward her, still dazed slightly as she held his gaze, her chin resting on his chest as she rolled over slightly.

".... Hora...." He mumbled, blinking again as the drowsiness wore off. "..... Are you alright...?" she blinked at the question, sweatdropping slightly.

".... Yeah.... Sorry... About...." She trailed off, her eyes dropping away from him as she tensed up a little in his hold- he shook his head at her.

"Don't apologize.... You have nothing to apologize for." He sighed, "...... I promise you, you didn't cause me any trouble... I know it can't be easy for you.... Admitting things like that.... Letting yourself be that open, either......"

Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing as the breath caught in her throat at the words. She pulled back from him, forcing his arms to slacken around her body and let go as she sat up all the way, and moved away a bit toward the edge of the bed. She settled into sitting on her heels as he shifted too- pulling himself up so he was sitting cross-legged next to her on the bedtop.

Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes falling on her hands in her lap as Rogue set his eyes on her and seemed to sigh.

"...I'm sorry..... But I see it now, that it's not easy to let anyone else see what's bothering you, Hora.... I'm.... I am sorry for pressing it, last night. I didn't know it would.... Hurt so much....." He apologized softly. Hora's eyes snapped shut as her hands balled up in her lap,

 _'Hmm.... After so long... You finally told someone.'_ Lixue's voice was low and slow, cautious almost. '. _... Albeit that little bit of secret has been gnawing at you quite a while.... But now the one you told it to is apologizing, instead of scolding you for letting it remain secret so long...... Were I in his situation, I would be chastising you fervently, Horatia.'_

Honestly? Had Rogue kept a secret like this so long.... She would be snapping his head off too. The lack of scolding on his part about all of this was.... Surprising. And she hated it, as well as appreciated it.

_And_ _he's apologizing... Because it hurt me...? Damn it Rogue..._

"... tch... Don't." Hora growled, Rogue blinked in surprise at the sudden order. ".... just..... don't apologize....."

".... Why...?" A sharp shake of her head cut his question off in seconds,

"..... why are _you_ apologizing..?!" She hissed lowly, her eyes flashing as he jumped a little. ".... honestly..?! I've been lying to you for years, and you're apologizing to me...?! I'd be fucking _furious_ with you if you had done what I've been doing!" Her jaw snapped shut as her fists clenched in her lap, growling lowly as his face seemed to soften at the words- rather than stare at her in confusion like she expected.

"I'm not going to scold you, Hora." He told her quietly, she bristled at that.

"And why not?!" she snapped lowly, he sighed.

"Even though you should have told us a long time ago... I understand why you didn't. You had your reasons, Hora..... And you kept it to yourself because you were worried for our safety. And in a way... You were right, not to tell us." he sweatdropped slightly as she blinked in complete surprise. "...... We would have gone after Master straight away, in our anger... Sting especially. Which would end badly, for everyone.... Especially you."

Hora swallowed slightly, her eyes falling into her lap.

"But don't think we're not going to discuss this, Hora. Or do something to help you." his voice hardened a bit and she stiffened. "You can't live with your life in Jiemma's hands, I won't let you. We will find a way to set you free, I swear to you we will. And we'll do it in a way so no one gets hurt."

Her eyes snapped shut against the way her heart seemed to twist into a knot in her chest, her shoulders hunching slightly and hating the way her throat tightened.

"I won't tell Sting, or anyone else until you want me to, Hora." he promised softly, "But can you please explain it to me? How Jiemma ever even managed to... Do that to you, and why...? I want to understand..."

Hora jumped a little, her eyes snapping open as Rogue's hand fell softly on the top of her head.

".... I'm sorry if talking about it hurts more.... But please, Hora. I need to know how it happened if I'm going to help you, alright?"

She didn't think she had ever heard his voice so gentle as that in all her life. If it was possible... It was even more gentle and warm than his voice last night, when he was trying to calm her down.

She tilted her head up to look at him, his hand still on top of her head as he met her eyes easily.

 _What is that.... That familiar sort of warmth in my core...? It's not.... Fire._..

She blinked, swallowing again as she nodded a little, he smiled softly and rubbed her hair a bit. Hora's eyes widened slightly,

_..... Why... Why does him doing that make my...?_

He pulled his hand away and she shook herself a bit, taking in a deep breath.

"... I joined SaberTooth a year before Jiemma ever came into the picture. When he showed up, he started to fight against the Old Guild Master- trying to impose his own law and code on who was allowed in the Guild, who wasn't.... He took the Guild by force, and he killed the Old Guild Master in a fight for control of the Guild to do it."

Rogue stiffened, his eyes widening in shock and horror at the words- he hadn't ever known how SaberTooth came to be, there was no one in the Guild who had been there since before Jiemma was Master- only Hora.

But he _killed_ the old Guild Master...?!

".... A lot of people bailed after that, and those that stayed they all eventually got thrown out. None of them met his standards for strength... Except for me." She mumbled, unaware of, or ignoring his shock. "..... I made the mistake of trying to stand up to him, but I was so young at the time... Even with my Magic I didn't stand much a chance, he had years of experience on me. But fighting him put me on his radar, my Magic is so rare and powerful- he decided then and there I wouldn't ever leave. I was going to stay under his control in the Guild, and to do that.... He put the Possession Link on the Lacrima inside of me. Used it to keep me from running away, or trying to fight back when I got older, and stronger. Originally it was so he could order me out on high-stakes missions and bring in a bunch of money and reputation... But now its more because he doesn't want to lose being able to keep me prisoner." She shook her head, looking agitated at the memory as her hands linked together tightly in her lap.

".... I don't honestly know how he put the Possession Link there, I just assume it was how you'd normally do it... even if you wouldn't normally put it on something like a Lacrima inside a living person. I just remember him grabbing me one day, and waking up hours later, not able to..... he told me what he'd done, and made it clear I had to listen to him from then on." Hora grumbled, "I've been looking into Possession Links since then, but I have never found any way to break them against the 'Owner's' will. I gave up after awhile...... I just don't know how to take it away." She shook her head slightly, "...... I know a lot about Possession Links because of how much I researched them early on..... but I still haven't found anything that will help me."

Rogue swallowed slightly, sweatdropping as his shoulders stiffened.

".... Jiemma........ he did that to you because he wanted to keep you as his property....? Because.... you were powerful....?" He mumbled, she nodded slightly. "..... but.... if he could force you to stay by putting a Possession Link on a Lacrima inside of you..... Sting and I...."

Hora's eyes snapped up toward him, her eyes flashing as she immediately realized where his thoughts had gone- and not unsurprisingly. It wasn't a stretch to think Jiemma would try and do to him and Sting what he had done to her, but-

"No." Hora told him quickly, Rogue blinked at the sudden firmness of her voice. "He can't do that to you, either of you. I put a Anti-Possession Spell on the both of you the _minute_ I realized you wanted to join SaberTooth. That first day I met you two, that night I put that Spell on you so Jiemma couldn't trap you like he did me." Rogue's jaw dropped slightly as Hora seemed to wilt a little. ".... I found the Spell while I was learning about Possession Links, but I found it after Jiemma had already done it.... the Spell only works to protect you if it's cast before someone tries to place a Possession Link on an object. He can't put one on you, ever... even if it was already too late to help me."

Rogue's eyes glittered, his face pulling into a slightly pained frown as he looked at her.

_...... ever since the first day..... she'd been trying to protect them.... and they never...._

Hora felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes going wide as she stared- her eyes flashing as she saw the line of tears suddenly fall from his eyes in silence. She grimaced, her heart fluttering in sudden nervousness as she leaned forward a bit-

"W-wait, why are you crying....?!" She stammered, his shoulders hunched as his eyes dropped away from her and he sucked in a sharp breath of air. He shook his head slightly, his hands moving up to rub at his eyes a little.

"... tch...... I just can't believe you..." He mumbled softly, Hora paused at the words, her head tilting a little. ".... even from that long ago..? You'd hardly known us a day... and the first thing you did was make sure we couldn't end up with Possession Links stuck on us...? You've been looking out for us from the get-go.... and I never realized....." He sniffed slightly, his eyes trailing back up toward her and glittering still as her heart clenched.

"....... you're so kind, and you're always trying to keep us safe...... I don't think I've ever known anyone more loyal than you.. Hora.." He smiled shakily, her jaw dropped slightly as she felt her face heat up out of nowhere. "You're just... you're honestly perfect, Hora..... you're amazing.....!"

She growled, snatching up a pillow from the bed and slamming it into his face, knocking him back against the bed and holding him there- almost smothering him as she felt her face heat up even more. She cringed in the middle of it though, pain racing through her stomach-

_WHY?!_

"D-Don't say things like that..!" She hissed hotly, he was fidgeting under the pillow and trying to get her to let up, she growled before moving the pillow away, sitting on her heels on the bedtop as she gave him an annoyed glare- he sucked in air the minute he was allowed. "And quit with the crying, will you?! _I'm_ the one who should be crying, not you!" Her jaw snapped shut as her teeth ground down on one another, her face still flushed as he blinked at her- a little confused why she had reacted like that- before he smiled a little.

"... sorry..." He hummed, wiping away what little moisture was left on his face as she huffed. "..... thank you, Hora." She stiffened, her eyes snapping away from him as she bit the inside of her cheek- and promptly hissed when it hurt like a son of a-!

Her hand moved up to press lightly against her left cheek, feeling the heat coming off of it, tender and swollen still from having been hit last night. She'd honestly forgotten it was there,

".... tch.... owww....!" She snapped, Rogue sat up again and leaned in a little.

"... that bruised pretty badly." He murmured softly, ".... you'd probably do well to put some ice on it, Hora." She sighed,

".... if only I could..." She grumbled, he blinked at the words, but didn't linger on them.

"Is your ear still hurting?" He murmured, she shook her head a little.

"... no.... and hopefully it doesn't start up again either." She mumbled, he nodded a bit.

"..... look, I don't know much about Possession Links- but I will help you look into them, and we'll find a way to dispel it, alright?" He told her quietly, she sweatdropped a little.

".... fine, but you need to stay focused on the Games." She told him lowly, he grimaced slightly. "Seriously, Rogue. You can't have your head in the clouds, if we can get through the Games without earning Jiemma or Minerva's wrath again, we need to. We can focus on the Possession Link thing afterward, alright?" He didn't look like he liked the plan, but he nodded anyway.

"... alright. But as soon as the Games are over with-"

"I promise, alright?" She cut him off, he sighed internally. "Now, you need to go back to your own room- before Sting or anyone else wakes up and wonders where the hell you went." She ordered lowly, he nodded a bit and shifted, standing up from the bed as she paused- her nose twitching slightly as she sweatdropped.

".... and change your shirt, you smell like... tears...." She mumbled a bit more lowly, he paused, his own nose twitching slightly before he smiled nervously.

"... that's probably a good idea.." He murmured, walking slowly toward the door before pausing again. Hora blinked at him,

".... but seriously, Hora... thank you." He murmured softly, his head tilting back toward her as his red eyes glittered.

She swallowed a bit at the way her heart jumped, nodding stiffly as she looked away. He blinked a little as he saw her blush, just slightly- and his heart jumped.

".... thank you, for..... staying, Rogue."

* * *

 

"... geez that looks bad..." Sting grumbled lowly, sweatdropping heavily as Hora stopped at his shoulder, her lips pulling into a disgruntled frown as she heard him say the words. The Colosseum was filled to the brim with spectators already, their voices a loud, low drum all around them as the SaberTooth Team (plus Hora, and minus Minerva and Orga at the moment...) stood in the box reserved for their Guild. It was always emptier than many of the other Guilds, since most people in SaberTooth didn't dare stay there lest it make Master mad- but Hora had never really cared, and had always taken up a post there to watch the Games.

The blonde turned toward Hora as she walked in and stopped on his shoulder, his eyes immediately finding the dark bruising spread across her left cheek and jaw- Hora's hands fell on her hips as she let out an annoyed sigh.

"Leave it be, it's not that bad." She grumbled, and though it did throb slightly- it wasn't her cheek that was bothering her now at any rate, it was the _noise._

Her ear was ringing slightly at the volume of the crowds alone, and the actual events hadn't even started yet- which meant it was just gonna get worse, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

Sting blinked a little at the answer, sweatdropping slightly as he tilted his head at her. ".... you're in a fine mood this morning.." He mumbled lowly, a vein ticked on her forehead. She shot him a glare and he jumped, smiling slightly as he shook his head. "That's fine, I get it, after what happened yesterday...!"

_No, you really don't...._

Rogue cast Hora a glance from Sting's other shoulder, sighing silently as Lector and Frosch walked across the stone railing to stand in front of Horatia.

"Are you alright, Hora?" Lector hummed,

"Did you sleep ok, Atia?" Frosch asked, Hora's annoyance faded as she nodded toward the two Exceeds.

"I'm alright, and... yes." She murmured, and hated the way her heart jumped at the end. "Sorry to worry you.... I'm still a bit miffed about what Salamander pulled is all." They nodded,

"It was kinda stupid of him to come rushing in like that." Lector grumbled,

"Fro thinks so too."

"It was ill-advised." Rufus' voice broke into the conversation as the man circled around to land on Hora's other side, she glanced toward him warily.

Right... she hadn't explained any of what happened last night to either him or Orga.

"He was very fervent in his ideals, and he made a few interesting points..." Rufus murmured, nodding toward her slightly as he gave her a sympathetic smile. "Do not worry, Sting explained things to us this morning, Horatia." He added in quietly, Hora blinked in slight surprise as she glanced toward Sting- who nodded too.

_... ah, so I don't have to... even if it would have still been a lie anyway._

"Hopefully once the Games conclude we may have time to get back to more important things." Rufus commented, Hora nodded slightly.

_... and hope the Games end well...._

She saw Rogue nod firmly to the words from the corner of her eye.

"So I see Orga has already headed down.." Hora murmured, changing the subject as her eyes moved ahead and toward the arena below, where she spotted his familiar turquoise hair. She blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly at the other people on the arena floor. "..... with Jura participating too...."

"Alright folks! Let's get our first event of the third day of the Grand Magic Games started!" The announcer came on over the intercom, breaking Hora's words off and earning her eyes falling closed at the way the noise rung on her left ear. "Today's event is sure to be exciting, and we call it; Pandemonium!!"

_How appropriate... since my life has been anything but 'ordered' lately..._

She hissed under her breath at the loud wash of sheers and yells that swelled up from the crowds,

"As always, we want only one member from each Team participating! So the rest of the Guilds who have yet to send someone, please do so now!"

Hora's eyes opened again to watch the rest of the other participants file in. She recognized Milliana from Mermaid Heel, and Jura of course, though the brunette that walked out for Fairy Tail Team B wasn't someone she knew... and though she wasn't sure, but the other Fairy Tail member had red hair. To take a guess she would say the once upon a time famous Erza Scarlet, though it was only a guess... after all her interest in individual Fairy Tail Members started and ended with Dragon Slayers.

Raven Tail was a mystery to her, but Hibiki from Blue Pegasus was popular enough to recognize too.... and then Novali from Quatro 'Puppy'.

"Hmm, Pandemonium? What an interesting name."

Hora instinctively stiffened at the sound of Minerva's voice behind them, the Lady moving into the box and halting at Rufus' shoulder with a cool, calm little smile as she watched the rest of the Guild participants file out.

"Quite, I'm curious to see what version of 'Pandemonium' they intend to play upon?" Rufus murmured lightly, "Shall it be chaos and panic, or will it allude to a den of monsters like in old tales?" Minerva smirked, her arms crossing about her chest. Hora cast a sideways glance toward the other woman, sweatdropping as she saw the slightly malicious look appear in her eyes.

"Indeed."

Hora's eyes turned upward toward the sky as a massive Magic Circle appeared over the floor of the arena, the air shaking as a... building (?) dropped down from the depths of it, floating mostly in air as one long walkway connected with the ground up to it.

"That thing is huge.." Sting grumbled,

_... honestly, who powers the events for this thing..?_

"Before you stands a castle filled with vicious monsters!" the voice of the Games pumpkin mascot came into focus, "That's Pandemonium!"

"... den of monsters it is." Rogue mumbled,

"Hmm.... I take it we are to do battle with these monsters?" Jura asked, his voice amplified by the arena. The Pumpkin-Man gave him a thumbs up,

"Correct sir!"

The crowds erupted with a mix of cheers and shocked gasps,

"100 terrifying beasts are lurking within the castle! But don't worry, there is no chance of them escaping and attacking the crowd! They are Magical Projections we created solely for this game!" The Pumpkin went on, "Each Monster is ranked by level of difficulty,and we have five classes! D, C, B, A and S!"

A screen popped up over the arena to show hos many of each class there was;

_S x1_   
_A x4_   
_B x15_   
_C x30_   
_D x50_

"To give you an example, let's show you how strong a D-Class Monster is!"

Another screen popped up to show a massive, four-legged monster that earned terrified screams from the civilians in the crowd- and more so when it ran forward and decimated a pillar inside of the castle as if it were nothing but paper.

Hora sweatdropped, swallowing hard against the noise and sorely wishing she hadn't shown up to watch the Games today... or at least brought some ear plugs or something.

"The Pandemonium Castle is filled to the brim with these vile creatures! And many more that are far stronger! Pandemonium awaits you!"

_Well.... fighting Monsters isn't much of a challenge for Orga, so at least I needn't worry about him too much..._

"Monsters of a higher class are two times stronger than the ones beneath them! So if you thought that D-Class guy looked nasty, you'll lose your head when the S-Class one appears! I'm not even sure a Wizard Saint could beat one of those!"

_By that logic, the S-Class Monster is 16 times as strong as the lowest level.... wait, a Wizard Saint...? Seriously...?!_

_I will say it again, who powers the Games? This is overkill..!_

"You will all take turns in choosing the number of Monsters you want to fight in each round!" The Pumpkin-man was still going, "We call this the Competitor's 'Right to Challenge'! So for instance, if you say you want to fight three monsters- three monsters will be awaiting you when you enter the Castle! If you successfully vanquish those three creatures, you will earn one point for every monster slain! After that, the next competitor in the rotation will choose what number they wish to face out of the number still left, and we will go from there! The game ends when either all the monsters have been cleared, or all of you run out of Magic Power!"

"But keep in mind, whether you choose to fight five or ten monsters- there is no telling what class of beast you will get! That means you might end up with five D-Class, or a mix of both C-Class and B-Class! All Monsters are chosen at random! And- Points will only be awarded if you defeat all of the monsters you challenged that round!"

_...... someone like Hibiki might be able to guess what Monsters will come out and when.... but it matters little if you can't defeat the number you choose...... and it'll be harder against stronger enemies, and the longer the game goes on.... you might also be at a disadvantage if you're low on the line...._

Hora grumbled under her breath slightly, as her eyes dropped closed in thought.

_..... personally speaking, going up against most of those Monsters probably wouldn't be much of an issue, but multiple rounds means longer using my Magic- and more chance it wears me down. Orga has a lot of power though, and his stamina is pretty good too- if he keeps up with challenging about 6-10 Monsters a round he should do pretty well..._

"Now! In order to determine who goes when, I would like you all to draw straws!"

Hora's eyes opened to watch the competitors pick straws, as their order appeared on the screens with their names and Guild affiliation hanging over the arena.

_.... and Erza goes first...._

"Ah, lucky! I bet being first means you get the most amount of turns," 'Cana' had walked up to the redhead. "Meanwhile I'm stuck in last, hehe.."

".... interesting.... I had assumed victory in this event relied entirely on the luck of the draw." Erza murmured, her voice was a little harder to hear but with the Magic-Amplification of voices Hora still caught the words- and agreed.

_If you go last and a bunch of people whittle down the rank of monsters ahead of you, the probability of going against weaker monsters gets thinner, and there's also less points to snatch-_

"Oh it's really much more than that! You have to consider pacing your opponents strength, the likelihood of getting a really nasty monster- the list goes on and on! It is quite a complex game if you think about it~" The Pumpkin-man intoned, Hora agreed again.

"No," Hora blinked at the reply from the redhead, her eyes narrowing as she saw her... she's smiling?

"In fact, this is no longer even a Game." Erza hummed, walking forward toward the ramp up to the castle as Hora sweatdropped.

_No longer a game...?_

She stopped, her smile fading as sheer determination appeared on her face- Hora leaned in a little, her hands falling on the stone railing.

"Inside this castle, with 100 Monsters- I choose to challenge;"

_What is she...?_

"All of them."

"HUH?!"

"SAY WHAT!?!"

Hora felt her jaw drop slightly, her heart jumping as she blinked several times in disbelief- _what?!_

"Tell me my ear is ringing so much I heard that wrong..?" She mumbled lowly, everyone else in the box around her and in the whole of the arena were all as shocked as she was.

"... she said... she's really going to challenge all one hundred..?!" Sting hissed,

_You're joking..?!_

"U-uh, you don't really mean that do you..?! We designed this event to be completed by multiple wizards..!" The Pumpkin-man was struggling for words, Erza simply glanced toward him.

"I don't care." She muttered, before turning her back on him and starting toward the ramp.

Hora closed her mouth, her eyes glittering as she blinked a few times.

_I mean... she was pretty famous seven years ago... but 100? Does she seriously think she can take on all of them...? I wouldn't try that in a million freakin' years...._

Her thoughts got snapped apart when the noise from the crowds increased about tenfold, many of them cheering, others just yelling out their disbelief- she shut her eyes against it and took a tiny step back from the railing, hoping maybe the stone confines of the room might block out a bit of the noise (but of course it wouldn't...).

Sting and Rufus both cast quick glances toward Hora as she moved, their eyes narrowing slightly when they saw the discomfort appear on her face.

Erza moved inside the castle as her visage appeared on screens all around, her expression nothing but calm as she waited for the beasts to appear- and gave them no time to move until she was suddenly battling, swords dancing all around and cutting down foes in record time.

"Holy cow! Erza Scarlet wastes no time! It is raining destruction inside the Castle as she immediately jumps into contending with her foes!" Hora cracked an eye open to glance up at the screens, her arms crossing about her chest as she tucked her elbow in her hand and held the other lightly against the side of her head and over her ear to try and block out a bit more of the noise- it helped, a little.

_Holy.... She's amazing... How many has she taken down, and it's only been five minutes..?!_

She could tell Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch were just as incredulous as she was- and a glance as Rufus, she saw his eyes riveted on the fight too.

Minerva's face was nothing but cold and calculating though, she was taking in every move, every change of armor, every swing of a sword- and she looked displeased, as well as intrigued all at once. Hora's eyes narrowed slightly, her stomach clenching.

She glanced back up toward the screen posting the Monster numbers

_S x1_   
_A x4_   
_B x15_   
_C x30_   
_D x33_

_Damn_

Hora watched in intrigue as her armor shifted, shinning black with wings on the back- and her hits against the monsters seemed to nearly double in strength- the D-Class Monsters dropped again to 27 in one swipe.

The screen lit up in bright orange and red as a Monsters hot flames from it's mouth and toward the redhead- the screens lost sight of her for a few moments, Hora blinked as she came back into view.

_That's another armor.... it looks like it deflected and guarded her against getting burned...._

Erza's hand swung forward, a sword with it as the next wall of flames perished in a wave of steam.

_.... water Magic on the sword... to kill the fire...._

Hora's blue eyes narrowed a bit,

_.... that first hit.... was she testing out the weaknesses of the Monsters? And acted to change her armor and weapons accordingly? I mean.... 'Titania Erza' was a pretty big name among female Wizards seven years ago, but this is the first time I'm seeing her in action...._

More monsters fell as the score board changed again;

_S x1_   
_A x4_   
_B x15_   
_C x25_   
_D x27_

Hora could use Requip as most other Wizards could- to store small items and clothes, but hardly ever anything really powerful, nor altogether Magical. This 'Knight' version of the Magic was... incredible.

"That's five C-Class down in near seconds!!" The Announcer roared.

The sides of the castle imploded outward by blasts of Magic as Erza Requiped a second sword into her hand, cutting straight through another slew of D-Class beasts. The screens honed in on Erza again as the blasts subsided, and Hora sweatdropped a little.

_She looks like she got hit a few times there..._

A massive beast of a blue color appeared on the scene, of the likes that hadn't been seen yet- which meant it was a different class of monster.

The beast threw a torrent of water out toward the redhead- who jumped to avoid it and Requiped again into something different, her weapon changed too as lightning arced across the screen.

_.... she changed her weapon and armor type based on the different type of monster, and did in in a single second.... talk about quick thinking.._

Hora stiffened slightly as Erza got thrown into a wall hard enough to cave it in, her own body aching slightly at the sight- before Erza was gone from sight again, and came back a few seconds later in a different armor and wielding a massive black sword.... a line of monsters behind her imploded as if they got sliced- wait, did she move that fast?!

_S x1_   
_A x4_   
_B x10_   
_C x15_   
_D x18_

_This woman...._

"What raw Power! 50 Monsters have already fallen!"

"This is insane..."

"Her fighting style is quite efficient."

"Are you kidding? You're impressed by this? She looks ready to keel over."

"The fighting seems to have taken a toll on Miss Scarlet!" The Announcer called into the mic,

_....... in a world where Holder Magics like hers are usually held in lower regard than Caster Magics.... she's incredible..._

"Go get 'um Erza!!! Show 'um what ya got!!"

Hora felt her heart skip a beat in surprise as her ears caught the familiar voice of Natsu from across the Arena, she couldn't see him from their box but she did hear him- and she blinked.

_..... damn it.... now I want to root for Fairy Tail too...._

The Castle walls all over its face continued to blow outward as Erza dodged about the confines, slaying Monsters wherever she went, constantly Requiping in the process- as the number of Monsters left dwindled steadily. The crowds and Guilds alike were watching in awed silence, hardly believing their eyes- and why not?

Fairy Tail had been low of the low for years, they were the weakest around and this...

"Amazing! Despite her injuries, Miss Scarlet continues to stand her ground!" The Announcer called, the image of Erza stalling as the redhead came to a small pause, facing something red and large- and terrifying, if truth be told.

"But how will she fair against her next opponent?! An A-Class!!"

The Monster's fist swung forward toward Erza and she was lost sight to the cloud of dust that rose up around it, the hit was heavy enough to shake the Castle- but even with the way Hora's ear was ringing, she also heard the unmistakable sound of metal ringing too.

The dust cleared as the Monster's arm crumbled away from the backlash of hitting it's fist against a giant shield that Erza held steadily before her, unfazed almost.

"She blocked that?!"

"So cool!"

"No way!!"

The crowds were getting into it, and so were the other Guilds. Hora bit down on the inside of her cheek regardless of the pain that came with it- just to make sure she didn't outwardly react to it, in case Minerva saw it.

Erza was running through like a train, throwing Monsters around, slicing through them- hammering them, blasting them with Magic- she was like a whirlwind of sheer power and destruction, and yet she was so freaking refined and precise-! Monsters were dropping like flies and she felt the fire in her soul burn brighter from just watching.

_Fairy Tail..... this woman... Natsu... Lucy....... Fairy Tail used to be the best... everyone's forgotten... and I guess I did too...._

Her eyes flashed,

"Titania cannot be stopped folks! The Monsters just cannot keep up with her, even as the most vicious Monsters fall before her! She's taken so many hits and used up a ton of Magic Power, but she still keeps going!! Only four Monsters remain!!"

_S x1_   
_A x1_   
_B x2_   
_C x0_   
_D x0_

A bridge spanning the outside of the Castle shattered as Erza sliced clean through an A-Class Monster with the utmost calm, her feet launching her into the air as she cut apart the two B-Class Monsters in seconds.

_..... geez..... I'm totally starting to fangirl here...! She's amazing, maybe even better than Min-_

Hora paused, her excitement faltering as the thought occurred to her.

_.. could she...?_

"99 Monsters dead and only the S-Class remains!"

Hora's eyes narrowed again as she saw Erza halt, her eyes locking on to the last monster... it was small?

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" The Pumpkin-man intoned out of nowhere, "The S-Class Monster was designed to become three times stronger if it was the last monster left in the game! You may have had a chance before, but not anymore!"

Hora felt her skin crawl at the sudden pressure that ignited on the air, the S-Class Monster tripling in size- and it's fight against Erza igniting in seconds. She remained in rigid silence, her eyes never leaving the screens as the fight went on-

"Pandemonium has become a 1 on 1 battle, and moved to the top of the Castle- where Erza is not overwhelmed by the massive S-Class Beast!"

"This is bad..."

"I don't think she's gonna be able to beat it..!"

"Come on Erza! That big old hunk of tin's got nothing on you!" Natsu's cheer broke in among the doubting crowds again and Hora's lips twitched ever so slightly at the corners.

In a flash of glittering light that bounced off cold steel, Erza got up and cut the Beast's fingers clean off- her body launching into the air over top of it and such ferocity in her eyes it was like an inferno.

The crowds were booming, but Hora didn't care that the noise sent a sharp stab of pain through her head.

Her swords cut clear down through the Monster's head, it disappeared in a haze of fractured life as Erza halted, bloody and beaten- but she raised her sword high above her head and the crowds _lost it._

Hora swallowed back at the energy that rose in her core, doing her absolute best to keep her face neutral- her body still.... but on the inside, it was like her soul was raging.

_That was..._

"INCREDIBLE!!!" The Announcer yelled, his voice almost lost to the crowds and stands. "ERZA SCARLET HAS SINGLE-HANDEDLY DEFEATED ALL 100 MONSTERS! FAIRY TAIL TEAM A HAS SWEEPED TODAY'S FIRST EVENT IN AN ABSOLUTE, UNDISPUTED, VICTORY!!!!"

_..... Oh my god.... Lixue...?! You don't have anything to say about that?! That was freaking awesome!!_

_'...... you want my commentary now?'_ He sighed, though he sounded amused. _'You're very excited about this, Horatia... but should you really be rooting for the other team?'_

"Let it be known that we have just witnessed the making of History!! The Strongest Guild from seven years ago has returned from the grave!!!"

_.... oh shut up! You can't witness something like that and not be excited! I remember Fairy Tail being the strongest Guild! I wanted to join them before going to SaberTooth, and to see this?! After seven years of being called the weakest..?!_

Hora paused, her eyes falling slightly as the crowds roared their approval and praise- those same people that booed and heckled Fairy Tail, put them down, wrote them off. Knowing that the people who got left behind had suffered under ridicule as well as the pain of losing half their Guild- not just their Guild, their friends and their Family...

_.... I'm happy for them, really. Happy to see that they... they're still the same Guild after seven years trapped in a Spell, and the world is now seeing that Fairy Tail is still one hell of a Guild.... Damn it, I'm happy for them, is that a crime?_

_'No, it is no crime.'_ Lixue murmured softly, _'But curb your reaction, lest it end you in trouble, hmm?'_

He was right, of course.... but that didn't make the warmth in her soul any less dull.

She let out a sigh and turned away from the Arena, grumbling under her breath at the constant high, ringing pounding her eardrum. Rogue noticed her move away, snapped from his rigid silence that Sting, Lector and Frosch seemed to be in. He moved after Hora as she paused at the doorway to the box, grumbling under her breath as his eyes flashed at the pain etched into her face.

".... is your ear hurting you?" He murmured lowly, his eyes casting back toward Minerva- but SaberTooth's Lady was too busy watching the scene below with a wickedly amused smile.

"...mm... yeah... it's really freaking loud.." Hora grumbled, Rogue sweatdropped at the answer. She smiled faintly though, earning a blink of surprise from him. "Loud for good reason though, that was quite the show.." She added lightly, the sound of Erza's name being chanted filled the Arena as he sighed a little.

".... right."

"The booing that greeted Fairy Tail on Day One seems like a distant memory now! There is nothing but love here in Crocus now!" The Announcer hummed,

"Anyone would go gaga after that!"

"I must admit it was incredibly inspiring."

"What..?! They think that chick was good? Orga would have wiped out all those monsters in ten seconds!" Lector grumbled, though he looked a little stricken regardless.

"Her outfits looked pretty awesome though.." Frosch mumbled,

"Hmm.. how interesting." Minerva smirked, Hora glanced sideways toward the woman and Rogue did too. "Perhaps these Fairies aren't all talk and no action, I must say I'm impressed.." Hora sweatdropped slightly at the words,

_... of course now that means Erza is on Minerva's radar..._

Hora hissed, her head was starting to pound with the ringing in her ear and Rogue stiffened a little at the show of pain.

"Hora..." He mumbled,

"... I'm gonna go find some earplugs... or something." Hora grumbled lowly, ".... I wanna watch the Games... but this is going to be way too annoying if I can't handle the noise... I'll be back in a little, alright?" He nodded slightly,

"... hurry back." He murmured, she nodded back and left the box with one last cautious glance toward Minerva- but she was still too concerned with the event.. thankfully.

It got less loud and more manageable as she headed away, her feet taking her through the hallways and out toward the entrances to the Colosseum, the crowds were still lumbering about and filing in- people stopped and staring at the screens set up when they weren't trying to find seats.

She was moving in between the crowds, brushing passed people who gave her little mind an steadily heading towards the exit.

_.... Where am I gonna find ear plugs....? I don't really wanna go all the way back into the city... But... Its not like I have a choice.... But are any of the stores actually gonna be open...?_

She brushed passed someone in a black cloak, their hood up to cover their face and alone- she payed little mind to it before halting a few seconds later when she caught a whiff of their scent.

She glanced over her shoulder to catch a glance of them again, but they were gone already..... _What the hell? I swear that scent... It smelled like Lucy....?_

"Horatia..?"

Her heart jumped a little at the sound of her name, turning quickly toward it as her eyes landed on someone in Rune Knight Robes-

"... Ira." She murmured, her eyes flashing as the younger boy smiled warmly at her, before his eyes widened when he noticed the bruising along her cheek and jaw.

"Wha..?! What happened..?!" He asked quickly, clearing what little distance had been left between them and his eyes moving over every inch of her. "Are you alright?! I've been worried since you demanded Doranbolt take you back last night! What happened..?!"

She sweatdropped, her eyes flashing as she noticed people begin to glance over in interest to the quickly asked questions from the young Knight.

"... Ah... How about we head this way, ok..?" Hora mumbled quickly, her head tilting toward one of the side hallways that rarely got used since it was meant to head under the Colosseum and not to the stands. Ira blinked at her, but nodded anyway and followed her closely as she lead the way toward it and left the crowds behind.

She and Ira disappeared down the passage, unawares of the eyes watching them go across the small room. The figure with the black cloak, silent and unmovable- their eyes locked to Hora's back and countenance rigid.

A few glittering drops of moisture fell passed the lip of the hood and splashed across the floor, their hands held tightly against their chest as they let out a shaky hiss.

"... Hora..... I never got to..... before..."

* * *

 

".... Hora, are you alright?" Ira murmured as they slowed to a halt in the corridor once it widened, the noise was nothing but a dulled and dim rumbling overhead- it was _lovely_.

"You're stomach is still healing, right? And what happened with your cheek..?" He asked quickly, his eyes glittering as Hora turned to him and smiled slightly.

"... Uhm... I kinda got in a fight." She mumbled, he bristled at the words. "I'm sorry if I worried you when I ran off yesterday.... but something happened at my Guild and I got worked up pretty fast."

"There was reports of the Inn SaberTooth is staying at getting attacked last night," Ira murmured, "Is that where you got that? Who did it? Who attacked the Inn?"

She sweatdropped, her eyes flashing as she looked away for a minute. She couldn't tell him that Jiemma was the reason for the way her cheek looked, but it wouldn't be fair to say it was Natsu's fault.... even though it really was, but the hotheaded Salamander hadn't come in looking to get her hurt she was sure.

"Uh... yeah, there was a little fight with someone from Fairy Tail. But don't worry about it, he's got one of these too so we're kinda even." Hora murmured, Ira frowned a little.

".... are you sure you're ok?" He asked, she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine... I was just leaving for a bit to find some earplugs or something.." She mumbled, his head tilted in question and she sighed. ".... My ear is ringing pretty bad, the thing I got hit with was really loud, and since my ears are sensitive.... it's unpleasant being in the Colosseum with all the noise."

"Oh, I can help you with that...!" He smiled slightly, his hands lifting as a small Magic Circle appeared in air before him and he stuck his hand through the middle. He dug around a few moments, before he pulled his hand back out and two earplugs rest in his palms, smiling a bit more toward her as she blinked.

She held her own hand out and he dropped them into her palm with ease, Hora nodded a bit and gave him a small smile- her hands moving up as she put them in (a bit painfully in the one ear, mind you....), the noise dying down to a low rumble, but her ears were good enough to still hear things even with them in. It was just more bearable now, and she sighed.

".... ah, thank you...." She sighed, her eyes dropping closed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "... this will help....... it was honestly pretty awful before...." Ira nodded a bit,

"It was pretty noisy." He hummed, she nodded. "Glad I could help."

".... I'm not in trouble for running off last night, am I?" Hora asked, a little nervously now as Ira smiled in amusement. "I mean I filled everything out, the paperwork was just being approved right...?"

"Yes, Doranbolt was none too pleased about it- but he didn't complain much either. And Lahar wasn't mad either, the Council had nothing else to go over and they cleared you to leave this morning.... we didn't tell them you'd already left though." Ira explained, Hora let out a small breath.

"Thanks..."

"Are you sure you're okay? You looked pretty worked up..." Ira murmured, Hora nodded again.

"Yes, things just got really complicated out of nowhere... I'm sorting it out, but it's not that bad."

_Well... it kind of was, but....._

"Alright, after much deliberation we have decided that we need a way to rank the other Guilds- so we're gonna hold another Contest!"

Ira and Hora went quiet as the sound of the Pumpkin Man's voice made it's way to the forefront of their attention, both their eyes turning up toward the ceiling as they listened in.

"This game might be a little on the boring side compared to Pandemonium, but I think it will suffice. This is a Magic Power Finder, or MPF for short- it measures the output of a Wizards's Magic Power when you cast a Spell on it, and will display your score in numerical form! We'll use this number to decide the rankings for the remaining teams~!" The Announcer's voice came through clear and loud even despite the overhead, "Since you all drew straws earlier, we'll just continue in that order!"

_Then it's Millianna's turn..._

"Millianna scores 365!" The Announcer called, Ira jumped and Hora blinked at him.

"That's impressive!" Ira breathed, his eyes shinning- he caught Hora's tilted head and smiled. "Ahhh, you've never used an MPF right?" He asked, Hora shook her head.

"-perhaps I can elaborate, we Rune Knights use MPF quite frequently in training." Ira got cut off by the sound of Lahar's voice over the loudspeakers, the young boy smiling in slight embarrassment as he gestured up to the ceiling and decided to let Lahar do the explaining-

"With that score she would have made Squad Captain." Lahar hummed,

"Ah, so Millianna kicks the game off with an impressive score!"

"Ah, alright...." Hora murmured, nodding a bit as Ira did the same.

"I've never seen anyone pass the 500 mark before, but that being said most Rune Knights don't really focus on overwhelming Magical Power." Ira explained, chuckling a bit. "I bet you'd pass the 1000 mark no problem though, Hora." Hora smiled a bit in embarrassment,

"... heh... maybe.... I'll have to test one of these MPF things out sometime if I get the chance." Hora murmured, rubbing the back of her neck a little. "Though I really doubt I'd do all that well if I was the one in the competition right now.... Jura is playing after all." Ira's eyes widened, sweatdropping.

"I totally forgot about him!" He breathed, "I bet you he's gonna score some insanely high number..... we've never had a Wizard Saint try an MPF before!"

"Nobali with Quatro Puppy scores a... 124!" The Announcer broke in, "A bit on the low side wouldn't you say?"

"Hibiki of Blue Pegasus scores a measly 95..!" Hora and Ira smiled slightly, looking exasperated- and sympathetic.

_That's.... maybe not a surprise...._

"Next up is Obra from Raven Tail!" Hora's head tilted back, her eyes locked on the ceiling overhead and her hands falling on her hips.

_Wasn't Raven Tail supposed to be having some kind of a beef with Fairy Tail....?_

She blinked, her head tilting slightly.

_...... come to think of it.... we're right under where Fairy Tail's Box should be, right...?_

"He's the one." Hora blinked at the low growl, much quieter than the Announcer..... almost too quiet to hear, but she heard the venom in the tone.

"That scoundrel." And another she didn't know....

"The one who attacked Wendy and Carla."

Hora stiffened slightly, sweatdropping as her eyes flashed- she did recognize that one, it was Happy.... _wait, what did he say? Attacked Wendy and Carla....?!_

"Obra clocks in at..... 4 points...?"

_Four...?!_

That was incredibly low, way too low- especially for the person who could have drained Wendy and Carla's power like it had been..... Hora's eyes narrowed a bit, her jaw clenching slightly.

_Now that cannot be right_

"That's...... how does a Wizard in a Wizard's Guild score that low?" Ira mumbled uncertainly. He glanced toward Hora and blinked when he saw the small frown on her face,

"Millianna of Mermaid Heel is currently in the lead!"

"MISSSSSSS HORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Her frown broke apart as both she and Ira jumped, eyes flashing and sweatdropping heavily at the loud call from further up the hall- Hora turned toward it and blinked several times.

_That sounds like-_

She recoiled, her eyes going wide as she caught sight of the blur of red and orange that was getting really, really close-!

She got slammed into hard enough to make her fall back onto her back, her head banging against the floor with an agonizing thud and agony searing straight through her stomach- a vein ticked on her forehead as she let out a none-too-pleased hiss. Ira jumped out of his skin, eyes whited out and shaking from head to foot at what happened- his eyes landing on the bundle of embers and flame that was currently on top of Hora and completely knocked out- a letter fell to the floor beside her.

"H-Hora...?!" Ira stammered,

"Tch...... _Drille!!"_ Hora snapped, sitting straight up and snatching the Paper Firebird up in her hands, her face dark and her fangs grinding down on one another as she glared at the creature. "What the hell?! You don't go around knocking people over like that!! What the _hell_ has got you rushing around like that?!"

"I've been trying to find you in this labyrinth of a Colosseum for AGES!" Drille snapped back hotly, "I have a letter for you from Miss Yukino!" Hora stiffened, her anger washing away from her face in an instant, but the little bird was fluffing up in agitation and..... was that panic?

"PLUS I SAW SOME WEIRD, CRAZY, SCARY GUY WHO LOOKED LIKE MISTER ROGUE!! HE HAD WHITE AND BLACK HAIR, AND I KNOW HE DOESN'T HAVE HAIR LIKE THAT BUT I SWEAR!! THEY COULD BE LIKE TWIIIIINNNSSS!!! IT TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT, MISS!!!" Drille squawked, his wings flapping up and down feverishly even as Hora held him, bits and pieces of ember showering her lap and the floor as she blinked, confused as can be now-

"HE WAS SUPER SCARY LOOKING! WHEN HE LOOKED AT ME I SWEAR I WAS GONNA HAVE A HEARTATTACK! I FLEW AWAY AS FAST AS I COULD!!"

"And the crowds go wild, SaberTooth's Orga gets a whopping 3825!!"

Ira's head snapped around toward the announcement, his attention diverting as his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"W-What?!" Ira stammered, Hora didn't really pay attention- her eyes were narrowed and fixed on the very panicked bird as her mind struggled to process what he was saying.

_What does he mean..... a scary looking Rouge...?_

_'This creature looks petrified..... who did he see?'_ Lixue mumbled, _'It surely could not have been your friend after all, but someone similar looking.... but this reaction is odd.'_

"Wait a minute, calm down, tell me again?" Hora mumbled, her eyes flashing. "You saw someone who looked like Rogue... but with white and black hair?"

"Y-yes!"

"..... and you're scared of this guy? Why? What about him freaked you out?" Hora pressed, Drille shuddered in her hold and she blinked.

"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold!" Drille stammered, "Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"

Hora felt her heart skip a beat, a small icy flash running through her veins- and she wasn't sure why.

 _'...... hmm...'_ Lixue hummed, she swore there was something more than _musing_ behind his tone.

".... where?" Hora asked slowly,

"J-just outside the Colosseum Miss!" Drille replied shakily, Hora swallowed a little, nodding slightly.

_.... I'll have to take a quick look in a bit...._

".... alright, look- I'm sure it was scary, but you don't need to worry about it. I'm sure it was just a coincidence." Hora assured the small bird, who nodded slightly. "Was Yukino okay when you saw her?"

"Yes Miss! She had important things to tell you, in her letter~!"

Hora nodded a bit and let Drille go, the bird fluttering in air with ease as her hand moved to pick up the letter that had fallen to the floor.

Her hand paused though, her back growing stiff as she felt the floor, the air.... everything start to shake.

"What the hell..?"

"J-Jura is up..." Ira explained in a hushed voice, Hora sweatdropped.

_Right...._

She sat stiff as a board, everything around them rattling and shaking- like some sort of earthquake. There was an incredible boom-

"Jura takes a whopping 8544! That is mind-boggling!!"

Hora blinked, sweatdropping a bit more as she sighed- Ira looked ready to fall over, he was.... well, speechless.

_That would be a Wizard Saint for you...._

"I knew he was strong but yowza! He may be on the same level as Gildarts..." This voice she heard from overhead and recognized as the Old Man... the Fairy Tail Guild Master.

There was a small, young chuckle that sounded afterward and Hora's eyes flashed gold for a small second,

"True, but let's not forget that someone down there has Gildarts' blood running through their veins." Hora sweatdropped a little, she hadn't a clue who the hell Gildarts was, but that voice?

_..... the ghost girl....._

Hora stiffened, grimacing to herself when she realized- she was eavesdropping.

"Next up! Fairy Tail Team B's Cana Alberona!"

She shook her head at herself and opened the letter, her blue eyes trailing over the words quickly as her eyes went wide-

".... Yukino joined the King's Army...?!" Hora snapped, Drille jumped at the words, nodding a bit. She looked up at the bird, "Why?!"

"I don't know!" Drille stammered, "Does it not say in the letter...?"

Hora hissed, her eyes snapping back down to said letter and sweatdropping.

_'...... there is an important project, and they need my help for it....'_

".... no, it's no specific at all...." Hora growled, her hold on the paper getting firmer as her head snapped up toward Ira. "Oi! I need a pen and paper!" She ordered quickly of the Young Rune Knight, who jumped a little but twirled his finger and produced said materials with no argument.

".... why is she stripping..?!"

"Huh?!"

"That's..!"

"I know that emblem..."

Hora grabbed the pen and paper from Ira quickly, only to have her plans stall again when she heard the incredulous murmurs from overhead.

".. uh.... First Master..?" The Old Man asked softly,

"Hmm, I lent it to her for this special occasion." The ghost of Fairy Tail's First Master said brightly, "Now she's sure to win!"

_She sounds awful pleased...... but what do you mean sure to win....?_

_'You are eavesdropping again.'_ Lixue commented, she told him to hush.

Hora blinked, her skin suddenly crawling as Magic Pressure ignited on the air..... even more potent than when Jura had made the earth rumble....?

_What is.... she doing...?_

"It's time to assemble, oh bringer of light that's guided by Fairies!!"

"Wielding that Spell is not easy. It takes incredible concentration and power, and Cana has both. I know she won't fail this."

"Shine your light! So that I may vanquish the fangs of evil!"

Hora's nose twitched, she could literally _smell_ Magic on the air.

_Hold on... this is massive...._

"Fairy Glitter!!!"

Hora jumped, the earth shaking with a violent passion and the underground hallways groaning under what insane force had suddenly slammed into the arena floor- Ira struggled to stay on his feet from the sudden movement.

_Holy..._

"OH MY GOODNESS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! THE MPF IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE SCORE HAS TOPPED OUT AT 9999!!!!!!!"

"WHAT???!?!?!?!?" Ira squeaked,

"IS THIS FAIRY TAIL'S TRUE POWER?! THEY ARE TAKING TODAY'S GAMES BY STORM!!"

"There ain't no stopping us now! We're only just starting to rock your world, Fairy Tail will be Number One again!!"

The crowds were roaring again, loud enough the noise broke passed the earplugs and made her head hurt- just a little.

Hora's hands fell into her lap with the pen and paper, her eyes finding the floor as he sweatdropped, smiling slightly.

_I bet that was a sight to see.... just based on what it felt like....._

_'Fairy Tail is turning out to be a force to be reckoned with, hmm?'_ Lixue hummed,

Hora's eyes fell closed, her shoulders hunching slightly.

It was a nice feeling, their repute being heightened again, hearing the cheers and the praises..... but it was going to be bad news for SaberTooth if they kept this pace up.

And that meant they were under the wrath and scrutiny of Jiemma and Minerva even more so now.... _damn it._

_Why can't I just be happy, without having to worry about us...?_

Her eyes opened again as she set into writing the letter in silence, ignoring of Drille and Ira in their astonishment around her- and the noise in the Arena too.

Her thoughts rounded back to what Drille said, and she shivered involuntarily- and she didn't know why...... for some reason his words made her feel uneasy, out of nowhere.

"We are halfway through the Third Day of the Grand Magic Games! Let's look at the standings- in first place we have Raven Tail! And holding on to second place, Lamia Scale!"

Hora's pen drawing across the paper failed as she folded it up and held it up for Drille to take, who plucked it from her hand lightly.

"Dropping down to third is the SaberTooth Guild! And then in fourth, we have Mermaid Heel!"

_Jiemma will not be pleased......_

"I will take this to Miss Yukino right away!" Drille chirped, Hora nodded.

"Be careful."

The small Firebird zoomed off in the next instant and Hora let out a silent sigh,

"In fifth place, we have Fairy Tail Team A! And trailing after them, is Fairy Tail Team B! They are followed by Blue Pegasus, and then Quatro Puppy!"

"Let's do away with the pleasantries and shake up that score board with some one on one battles!"

Hora blinked, glancing up as Ira's hand extended out to her, the younger boy smiling slightly. "Let me help you up." He murmured, she smiled a bit and nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her up and she dusted off her clothes- and winced when her hand brushed over her stomach to earn a sharp stab of pain.

"Are you alright?" Ira asked, she nodded.

"Yeah, just a little annoyed..." Hora grumbled,

"Your bird seemed awfully freaked out..."

"I know...... I'm going to head out to the outside of the Arena and see if I can find who he was talking about, before heading back up to my Guild." Hora explained, Ira nodded slightly. "Thank you again, for the earplugs- they are helping a ton."

"You're welcome~!" He smiled brightly, "I hope to see you again sometime, alright? I should probably go now too, I'm sure Doranbolt is looking for me.... and I shouldn't make him angry if I can help it, hehe..."

"Tell him to lighten up, from me." Hora smirked, he sighed.

"Yeah... I don't really wanna lose my job so I don't think I will...." Ira sighed in slight exasperation,

"If he fires you, he'll have me to answer to." Hora grumbled, his eyes flashed at that, laughing.

"You two really do fight like a married couple ya know-"

"Oi!" Hora snapped, her hand bonking the top of his head lightly, he only laughed some more.

Hora smirked slightly at the sound, shaking her head but otherwise leaving it be- it was a welcome change, the sudden lightness and mirth... things were so tense and she had o watch herself up in the Saber Box.......

_"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold! Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"_

A chill ran down her spine again, and she swallowed at it.

_Something's not right about that... but what..?_


	23. Lurking Shadow

**Chapter 2** **3**

**Lurking Shadow**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

.:+:.

Hora blinked, her blue eyes narrowed and trailing quietly along the lines of people heading into the Colosseum still- even though the GMG was by now halfway done for the day. She stood apart from the lines, her arms crossed over her chest and nose twitching even as she watched- picking out heads of black and white... But never both at the same time, like Drille had described.

_Honestly though... Why was he so freaked out? Who could look that terrifying...?_

_"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold! Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"_

Another chill ran down her spine again, and she swallowed at it.

_Something really doesn't feel right_

_'The question is why....'_ Lixue mumbled,

Her eyes dropped closed as she took in a long breath of air, picking apart the different smells and the like... but nothing out of the ordinary came up, nothing that didn't make sense for why it would be there. Behind her the Colosseum was awash with noise as everyone watched the one-on-one battle between Mermaid Heel and Quatro Puppy... though Hora wasn't all that interested in that fight, this was more pressing... more _concerning._

_.... hmm...._

Her eyes narrowed, flashing slightly as she shook her head a bit..... the feeling of dread and unease wasn't going away though.

 _'We'll have to keep an eye out from here.'_ Lixue commented,

_Yeah_

She sweatdropped, grimacing a bit.

_... Yukino joined the King's army.... for some Project....._

She growled,

_.... damn it Yukino...... I hope you know what you're getting into... I don't like the sound of this......_

"And with that, Millianna treats the Arena like her own personal cat-box, and she's got something big to bury!"

Hora glanced backward a bit, hearing the announcer's voice being followed by a roar of applause and approval.

_.... Mermaid won then....._

She sighed, biting the inside of her cheek only to break off in a wince- growling.

_.... I suppose I ought to get back..... I've probably got them worried...._

She turned on her heel and started back into the Colosseum, brushing passed the people in the crowds and fixed on her destination entirely.

"Next up, the Minstrel who sings to the red moon- SaberTooth's; Rufus Lore!"

Hora blinked, her steps quickening just ever so slightly as she heard Rufus' name called out.

"He'll be facing off against Blue Pegasus'; Eve Tearm!"

Hora made her way passed the straggling few people that were around as she drew nearer the hallway that would take her to the SaberTooth Box, eyes fixed ahead and unawares of the eyes from someone else a few dozen feet away.

A woman with green hair and a cowboy hat on paused, her eyes finding the younger woman and halting in her tracks- her original intention of heading to higher ground and picking a vantage point getting sidetracked when she recognized the younger from the first night of the Grand Magic Games...... the stranger named Hora who had brought Wendy and Carla back to Honeybone Inn.

And the one who had been adamant on keeping who she really was, and what Guild she belonged to- to herself.

Bisca blinked, sweatdropping slightly as her eyes landed on Hora's back, and immediately found the icy blue Guild Emblem stamped into the skin on her shoulderblade.

"No way..." Bisca mumbled to herself, her eyes flashing. Hora disappeared from sight down the hallway in little time, and Bisca stayed still where she was a few seconds more, her lips pulling into a line and looking unsure.

_I remember her now.... from the first year of the Grand Magic Games..... she's..._ _...... SaberTooth......_

_"Is something wrong, Bisca?"_ Alzack's voice filtered through the Communication Lacrima in her ear, and she jumped a little.

"Oh, ah-" Bisca mumbled, her eyes snapping sideways toward the glimmer of pale light on her left- her eyes widening a little to see Mavis suddenly beside her.

The First Guild Master said nothing, only smiled pleasantly and tapped her index finger against her lips in a 'shhh' sign.

Bisca grimaced slightly, sweatdropping a bit more.

".... no, nothin's wrong. I'm headed up top now." Bisca replied softly, Mavis nodded a bit.

"Thank you. For now I think it best we respect her wishes." Mavis hummed softly, Bisca nodded a bit.

"... if ya say so First..."

* * *

 

"Rufus beat Eve on Day 1, but will he get his revenge today?"

The gong rang and the crowds cheered in anticipation, right as Hora made her way slowly through the entrance of the SaberTooth Box, her expression falling instinctively neutral and tensing up immediately- the first thing her eyes met were the low, cool and calculating gaze that Minerva shot her way upon entering.

"I trust you've dealt with your issues, Horatia?" The Lady asked lowly, Hora nodded.

"Yes, my Lady... there will be no further problems." Hora murmured quietly, her eyes steady on Minerva, who let out a breath but looked back to the match without another word.

Her arrival earned the attention of everyone else in the Box almost instantly, their eyes daring to break away from watching the match and back toward her as Hora took up a quiet space between Rogue and Orga, placing Rogue and Sting between herself and Minerva now. Lector and Frosch moved on the railing to bring themselves in front of her,

"Are you okay, Atia?" They mewed in unison, she nodded- seeing the expectant glances from Orga, Sting and Rogue turn on her as they looked for her answer.

"Yeah, I found some earplugs, I'll be good now." She assured quietly, they nodded a bit, smiling a little in relief.

"Glad to hear it~!" Lector purred,

"Fro thinks so too~!" Frosch mewed brightly, Hora smiled slightly at them.

Their eyes shift away from themselves and out toward the Arena, the familiar figure of Rufus standing so calmly as he faced Blue Pegasus' Eve Tearm with the utmost placidity.

"I hope you know I don't intend to lose to you again." Eve smirked, Rufus smiled coolly.

"Hmm, oh really?" Rufus hummed, Eve tensed, starting forward as his hands lift and the Arena was engulfed in a sudden flurry of snow that swirled out toward Rufus at insane speed.

"White Fang!"

Rufus smiled pleasantly, not budging an inch as Hora blinked, her eyes flashing gold for a split second-

_.... I'm not surprised he already moved..... he's insanely good at making those Memory Images._

"I've already Memorized that Magic." Rufus murmured,

The Image of him dissipated as the snow went straight through him, or rather- the Memory Image of him, Eve stiffened in surprise, grimacing.

"Eve was originally a Rune Knight, yes?" One of the Judges murmured,

"Indeed, He was a Member of the Custody Enforcement unit, same as me." Lahar's voice answered with ease, "He was always an outstanding talent, but after entering a a Guild his Magic Prowess has been polished further."

Hora glanced left, picking up the real version of Rufus behind Eve, his hands raising to his temples as golden Magic began to flare around him in ribbon-like tendrils.

"Memory Make;"

Hora sweatdropped, her nose twitching as the familiar sent of ash and flame hit her nose in the next instant-

_...... Eve never stood a chance...._

"Karma of the Burning Land."

The Arena floor flooded in burning crimson and orange flame as Rufus placed his hand to it, the inferno spreading out toward Eve in a wave and engulfing everything as it grew in intensity the further away it got from the Saber- Eve had hardly anytime to turn toward the real version of Rufus, and no time at all to try and dodge the Spell that had the air wafting up in warm waves to their Box.

Eve let out a pained yell as he was blown backward, the crowds cheering and roaring as Rufus dipped his head slightly,

"And just like that the Match is over! Eve gave a valiant effort but Saber's Rufus proved much too strong indeed!"

Hora let out a silent breath, her eyes dropping closed a moment- only faintly aware of seeing the smirks appear on everyone's faces around her, and Lector and Frosch high-fiving.

_It's nice not to have to worry about how well we'll do in individual matches..... but that fight only lasted about five minutes...... I feel sorry for Eve....._

_'.... sometimes I wonder if you are too nice for your own good.'_ Lixue commented, Hora sweatdropped.

_Me too_

Hora opened her eyes again, narrowed and her dark blue gaze shifting sideways toward where Rogue was standing, quiet and poker-faced as ever (in public, anyway....).

_"PLUS I SAW SOME WEIRD, CRAZY, SCARY GUY WHO LOOKED LIKE MISTER ROGUE!! HE HAD WHITE AND BLACK HAIR, AND I KNOW HE DOESN'T HAVE HAIR LIKE THAT BUT I SWEAR!! THEY COULD BE LIKE TWIIIIINNNSSS!!! IT TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT, MISS!!!"_

_"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold! Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"_

She grimaced a little, another shiver running up her spine as that strange, sudden feeling of..... looming dread....?

_Why does it feel like something is... really wrong...... all of a sudden.....?_

"Well, well! Let's get ready for our next match, shall we?!"

Her attention got diverted again, her eyes flicking away from Rogue right at the exact second his eyes shift toward her- confused and questioning, but she looked back into the Arena and ignored it. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, the pain from the bruise flaring in an instant but she didn't let up nor let herself react-

_...... I don't like that.... this feeling......_

"Good match, Rufus." Sting smirked, turning toward said man as Rufus came back into the box.

"Indeed, you made quick work of him." Minerva smiled,

"Thank you for the praise." Rufus smiled pleasantly, dipping his head at them. Hora turned slightly toward him, offering up a nod at him as he smiled back at her- but said nothing to her sudden return from leaving earlier.

"Next up! Fairy Tail Team B's; Laxus Dreyar VS RavenTail's; Alexei!"

Hora looked back into the Arena, her interest catching on the name-

_..... One of the Dragon Slayers....._

Hora's eyes narrowed, watching the two men walk out on to the field in stony silence, straight-faced, tense.... almost looming.

_.... Didn't Rogue and Sting mention there's some beef between Fairy Tail and RavenTail?_

_And then there was that thing, about them attacking Wendy and Carla....._

Hora's eyes widened, her face falling slightly slack in shock and wonder as the Arena floor and the air all around the whole of the Colosseum...... _it's turning black...?!_

She swallowed, her eyes narrowing to slits as she felt the burning-cold sensation of the Markings appear on her lower arm and spread up it, and down and around her hand- her eyes flashing a sudden gold color and staying that way this time around.

 _'.... some form of Illusion Magic, hmm?'_ Lixue hummed in intrigue, _'And you picked up on it right away this time, not like back in Jeihel, hmm?'_

_Yeah, but what's with the Illusion all of a sudden....?_

Her attention found the sudden visage of some sort of Phantom Alexei and another Phantom in the form of the blonde Fairy Tail Wizard- who looked at it with the utmost neutrality and without budging an inch.

_...... so he can see it too...?_

"Let the Match Begin!"

The gong rang loudly over the Colosseum, the crowds cheering in anticipation, and the air everywhere a swirling black and purple mist that Hora was fairly sure she was the only one could see- well, outside of the two in the Arena....

She quirked a brow, watching the Phantom-Alexei launch forward and immediately land a hit on the Phantom-Laxus, sending 'him' flying with what appeared to be some incredible amount of force.

The crowd's cheering seemed to falter, and she felt the other SaberTooth Members in the Box around her stiffen in shock at the sight, a little taken aback as everyone else seemed to be-

The Phantom-Laxus landed on it's feet a few dozen yards back, the Phantom-Alexei rushing forward and giving it no time to retaliate, creating a sudden image of the Fairy Tailer getting his ass handed to him in the matter of a few seconds that continued to drag on- even as Hora glanced back to the real versions still standing so quietly in the Arena, watching the Phantoms in silence.

"W-What?!"

"You kidding me?!"

"Is he losing....?!?"

"These are raging attacks from Alexei?! Laxus can't seem to lift a finger!!" The announcer stammered, Hora let out a small breath, neutral-faced and fixed on the real thing that clearly only she could see- thanks to her Magic.

_.... well this is weird..._

"... what is going on here?" Laxus grumbled lowly, his voice managing a way to make it up to Hora even through the earplugs, and the noise of the Illusion on top of the regular ambient noise of everything else.

Not much a surprise maybe, even if the sensitivity of her nose had faded some with what Jiemma did with that Possession Link... her ears were sharp as ever, and much sharper than normal.

"It's a kind of Illusion Magic." Alexei murmured lowly, "The others around us cannot see our real bodies, nor hear our voices. What they are watching are Illusions fighting." He chuckled a little, "Quite good, hmm? Not a single person has noticed anything wrong-"

_Not quite true_

"-and all of them are watching a 'Laxus' that cannot even lift a finger to me"

"LAXUS! Hurry the hell up and fight!! Come on man!! Get your ass in gear!!"

Hora sighed silently at the voice of Natsu among the noise,

"It seems you're admired even in the Guild, I wonder what your friends are feeling right now as they watch this." Alexei went on,

"Oi," Laxus cut him off lowly, "I'm not getting the reason for all of this, what's the point of winning in an Illusion?"

"Hmm, exactly. Our aim is not winning- the Illusion is just a smokescreen." Alexei grumbled, Hora blinked in surprise in the same instant Laxus did.

"Illusions are Illusions, we can change the outcome to whatever we like. Pending our discussion, I can even let you win." Alexei murmured,

_Is he trying to rig the Games.....?_

"There is nothing to discuss." Laxus grumbled, his coat shrugging off his shoulders and to the floor as he settled Alexei with a glare. "I don't give a damn about your Illusions, I'll end this right here and now by taking out the real you."

"Hmm, come now." Alexei grumbled, Hora's eyes snapping from him and toward the figures walking out into the center of the Arena now.... RavenTail....

"That's impossible."

"You can't think you can take on all of us." Alexei grumbled, his hand lifting toward the mask on his face. "Ah, and one more thing..... you should know about _my_ strength right, stupid son?"

His hand fell with the mask in it to reveal.... _is that RavenTail's Guild Master...?_

_And.... they're related.....? Oh I have a feeling I shouldn't be listening in on any of this....._

"Hmph, I should have figured you'd try something like this, Shitty Pops." Laxus grumbled, Hora sweatdropped a bit.

_....... oh this is definitely something I shouldn't be listening to...... and what's with RavenTail....? This is breaking so many rules....._

"Makarov would die before he opened his mouth, but you're different." Ivan grumbled, "Let's have you tell us then, shall we?"

Hora's head tilted, her eyes glittering as she saw the almost... manic expression appear on Ivan's face.

"The Location of Lumen Histoire, where is it?"

_Lumen..... Histoire.....?_

"What are you talking about?" Laxus deadpanned slightly,

"Tch, don't pretend- Makarov must have told you."

"He hasn't told me a damn thing about whatever the hell that is."

"I do not believe you."

"Well, even if I did know- I wouldn't tell you." Laxus grumbled,

"Are you really going to pass up on a Victory? If you don't accept, there is no way for you to win- Illusion or not." Ivan growled, Laxus seemed to sigh.

"You always did have a roundabout way of thinking." He grumbled, "And I know all about how you cut Gramps out....... so bring it, all of you."

Laxus' hand lift, his expression stony and lightning flickering around his person.

"Master's enemies are my enemies after all."

".... tch.... it seems you need to be taught a lesson about the strength of RavenTail; the Anti-Fairy Tail Guild." Ivan hissed, Hora swallowed again.

There was a small, fleeting moment where she wanted to move- push herself over the railing and down into the Arena. Help him contend with RavenTail maybe... or maybe even alert the Judges and the Rune Knights about what was going on.

A small fleeting second where she honestly wanted to do something, anything- and all things that would land her in so much trouble, and maybe even dead at Minerva or Jiemma's hands.

_I am too nice for my own good..... shit_

But she stopped herself, somehow

"Anti-Fairy Tail Guild, huh?" Laxus grumbled,

"We've gathered up Members who specialize in Magic that match Fairy Tail's weaknesses. Amongst those, we are the elite five." Ivan growled, "Do you wish to go to war with us? And against what power we have accumulated the last seven years?"

"Gramps has investigated all of you." Laxus grumbled, "Your funds, your numbers, your activities- we know everything that you've done the last seven years."

"What...?!" Ivan snapped,

"It's Gajeel, he tricked us!" The redhead snapped, Hora's head tilted at the name.

"Gramps sent the Iron-Freak in to keep an eye on you." Laxus grumbled, "Under the guise that he was spying for you."

"So he was a double agent...." Ivan hissed,

"-And even though Gramps knew that much about you, he never made a move on you." Laxus went on lowly, "He kept on believing that some part of you was redeemable, that you could come back. He kept on holding out hope for you, since you're his son."

Hora sweatdropped a bit at that, her eyes falling a bit as she grimaced.

_Holding out hope, huh...?_

"Be quiet!" Ivan snapped, his hands lunging forward as a sudden storm of paper dolls erupted from him Magic and swept out toward Laxus- who growled, guarding against them. "I've lived in the shadows for years for this! All of it, to obtain Lumen Histoire!"

Lightning flashed among the dolls,

"You thought I didn't want to hurt you, all these years?! I didn't bother with you because I knew an expelled brat like you would never know anything about Lumen Histoire!!" Ivan raved, "I've searched everywhere, the Guild, Magnolia, Tenrou Island- but never found it! Tell me Laxus, where is it?! Aren't you my son!?!?"

_Wow he's really about knowing, huh...?_

_What in the hell even is that, though? Lumen Histoire?_

_'This certainly does not seem the sort of conversation you should be privy to.'_ Lixue commented, and she agreed- but then again..... she couldn't really help it.

"Obra! Do it, take away his Magic Power!!" Ivan ordered, Hora stiffened, her lips curling slightly in a snarl at the words.

_That Obra asshat is the one who went after Carla and Wendy....._

"This is for the Sky Kid." Laxus growled,

Laxus flitted away from the inside of the Paper Doll storm in a flash of golden light, his fist swinging back as it connected with Obra and sent him flying in a sudden show of pure force that was insane-

_Holy crap....!_

The other RavenTail Members started forward, and the blonde turned on them- Lightning flaring as he faced the purple figure of Nullpudding, but the sound of the electricity drowned out whatever Laxus said next- and Nullpudding was done in seconds.

He turned on the redhead, his cheeks puffing up in a familiar gesture-

"This is for Lucy-"

A column of spinning golden electricity rammed into Flare and threw her clear across the Arena to smash into the stone wall, before the blonde rounded on the last RavenTail member and he zapped him with a storm of lightning that fried him in seconds.

"M-my Elite Troops...?!" Ivan stammered, quaking in fear, Hora was riveted and fixed, eyes wide and staring.

_... well_ **_damn_ ** _....._

"I ain't got a clue what your goal is, but I'm going to hold you responsible for hurting my Guild." Laxus hissed,

"W-wait, I'm your Father! We're family...! Are you really going to hit me..?!" Ivan stammered,

 _"Fairy Tail_ is my Family!"

The dark cloud of purple-black was broken apart by the sudden ferocity of dancing gold, Laxus sweeping up to stand in front of Ivan, his fist swinging forward.

"And I will crush my Family's enemies!!"

Ivan was sent flying, the air booming and shaking as he was thrown through the fighting Phantom Images, the hanging mist of the Illusion being torn apart by the sheer ferocity and power behind the attack- Ivan slammed into the wall, _senseless_ as the Illusion faded and the whole of the Arena yelled in shock and bewilderment.

Hora swallowed, sweatdropping heavily.

_...... yeah, alright..... Lixue remind me never to piss that guy off, alright....?_

_'.... noted...'_

"W-WHAT'S THIS??!!"

"All of RavenTail..?!"

"A-AH?! ALEXEI IS THE GUILD MASTER IVAN?!"

"THE WHOLE FIGHT.... IT WAS AN ILLUSION...?!!"

"What the... fuck....?" Sting hissed beside her,

".... W... did he seriously.... take out that whole Guild by himself....?!" Lector hissed,

"That can't..." Rogue grumbled under his breath,

"..... yes." Hora murmured lowly, her eyes narrowed and fixed on the Arena and not on them. Her sudden affirmation earned their eyes, along with Rufus, Orga and Frosch- all of them winded and stiffening when they noticed for the first time that hers were suddenly... _gold!? What happened to the regular blue?!_

"..... all of them, all on his own- in the matter of about five minutes." Hora murmured lowly, her eyes dropping closed. "......... it was an Illusion from the start of the match."

"... y... you could tell the whole time.... Atia...?!" Lector and Frosch stammered,

"Seriously...?!" Rogue and Sting breathed, Orga and Rufus just stared at her in shocked silence.

"... hmm, I had noticed your eyes were not following the 'Fighters'." Minerva hummed lowly, "So it seems Fairy Tail has more than a few powerful Mages in it's midst this year, hmm?"

_No kidding_

"..... wait, your Magic does that...?!" Sting, Orga and Rogue asked softly, leaning in a little as Hora sweatdropped. "Let's you see around Illusions and stuff..!?"

She opened her eyes again, the dark blue returning as the gold faded to nothing as she glanced their way.

"Yeah.... I suppose I didn't mention that part." She mumbled,

_Among other things...._

Her hand found her right arm, feeling the warmth coming up from the black Markings that had stretched across her skin, and letting out a low breath as she forced them to recede again.

"..... Either way, it doesn't matter much. We have one last match to watch, might as well pay attention." Hora murmured, earning a few hesitant looks from the lot of them- but they realized why she changed the subject so suddenly, Minerva was listening- and too much chit-chat wouldn't do.

She sweatdropped, casting them an apologetic look.

"The Final Match of the Day will be between Lamia Scale's Sherria Blendy, and Fairy Tail Team A's Wendy Marvell!" The announcement rang out over the Arena and Hora instinctively stiffened at the names.

_Wendy..... and Sherria......_

Hora blinked, watching in silence as the small Dragon Slayer step out into the field as Sherria stepped out opposite of her. She watched Wendy though, her eyes glittering a bit.

_... she looks better...... I suppose she would have to be healed up, to be participating in the Games...... good._

_Good luck both of you_

Sherria smiled as she moved inward from the edge of the Arena, waving to the crowds as she went- before promptly tripping over her own feet and hitting the floor.

"Oof~!" She gasped,

"Oh, ah- are you okay..?" Wendy stammered, moving forward quickly, before she tripped and fell just like Sherria did.

Hora smiled internally, her eyes dropping closed as she did her best to hide her amusement.

_.... that was sort of adorable in it's own way, hehe....._

The two girls smiled in embarrassment and picked themselves up off the floor, moving the rest of the way in toward the middle, before halting.

"Hmm, we're gonna see two kiddies go at it....?" Orga mumbled, Hora glanced over toward him.

_.... does he not know what sort of Magic Sherria uses....? He should look more interested than that......_

"You have thirty minutes! Let the Match, Begin!" The pumpkin man announced as he bounced away from the two Wizards in the arena to give them space.

Sherria launched forward, the air shifting as suddenly a rush of black wind rushed out toward Wendy, who barely dodged it in time before sending out her own attack- pale blue clashing on black and the air shaking as the crowds stared in awe, smiling and getting more excited by the second- Wendy jumping backward as she blocked the attack and Sherria smiled, looking thrilled.

"Oh wow! You actually blocked that!" Sherria smiled,

Orga stiffened, his eyes widening as he saw the jet black color.

"That kid...?" He mumbled almost breathlessly,

_Ah.... so he hadn't a clue, huh? I suppose the only thing any of them heard about Sherria was she could use Healing Magic....._

"How about this...?!" Sherria smiled, her body twisting around as her arms stretched out on either side of her, black spiraling.

"Dance!"

Hora winced internally as she watched Wendy get caught up and thrown around in the torrent of tar black, but watching intently still as Wendy flipped herself over in midair- her fingers curling.

"Sky Dragon's Claw!"

Sherria was blown back, being rammed into hard enough to knock the breath from her- both girls landing on their feet back on the ground and sliding as they regained their balance again. Both girls leaned back a bit, their cheeks puffing up in an all too familiar gesture-

"Sky God's"

"Sky Dragon's"

"... she's really a....?" Sting mumbled,

"... woah...."

".... someone that young." Rufus murmured,

"-Roar!!"

"-Bellow!!"

A spinning tornado of black and pale blue spiraled out toward each other, sending debris flying on all sides as wind slammed into the people all around the Colosseum.

".... a Sky God Slayer, huh?" Orga mumbled,

The attacks slammed into eachother, imploding as Wendy got blown back by the sheer force of it, but Sherria seemed not at all bothered- their battle coming to a halt as she smiled pleasantly at the Fairy Tailer.

"Lyon told me about you, a young girl in Fairy Tail with a Magic similar to mine." Sherria smiled, "I'll admit, I was really hoping to see your Magic for myself, hehe.... but I may have gone a bit overboard, are you alright?" Wendy blinked, looking unsure as she pushed herself back to her feet, bruised and bleeding.

".... I'm fine..." She mumbled, "... this is a fight after all."

"Then let's enjoy ourselves a bit more, okay?" Sherria smiled brightly,

".... There's nothing I enjoy about fighting, but for the sake of my Guild, I won't hold back." Wendy mumbled, Sherria grinned.

"No problem with me! I'm gonna do the same for my Guild!" Sherria announced, her Magic flaring again and rising up around Wendy in the matter of a few seconds-

_.... Sherria is definitely a force to be reckoned with, huh?_

Wendy skid back over the ground as Sherria's attack paused, huffing and bloody. She grimaced, her head tilting back as she started sucking in the air- streams of it materializing as she began to eat it, Sherria smirked.

"Ah, you can eat air to replenish your Magic too, huh?" She smirked, her head tilting back as she started to mimic the Dragon Slayer's plan of action.

"What the...?! Both girls are up to something! And is it just my imagination, or is it getting harder to breathe around here...?" The announcer broke in,

Wendy's head tilted back down, her feet squaring and her arms reaching out on either side of her as her Magic started to surge out of nowhere.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art;"

Hora's eyes went wide, Rogue and Sting's too as they stared, taken aback by the words and the sudden Spell-

_A Secret Art...?!_

Wind began to spiral around the both of them, wild and throbbing-

"Shattering Light: Sky Drill!!" Wendy shouted as her Magic spiraled out around her, tightening in like a beam and slamming into Sherria with no small amount of power and force, the Lamia Scale Wizard hit the ground and didn't get back up.

Hora's eyes gleamed,

_..... damn kid...._

Sherria hit the ground with a loud thud, Wendy trembling and wobbly as she panted- the crowds were going nuts.

"Sherria is down-!" The Pumpkin-man started, Hora blinked, her eyes locking on to-

"Whew, that was pretty good Wendy!"

The crowds and Wendy all faltered, eyes locking on to Sherria as she stood up again, her clothes torn- but not a scratch on her, where there had been several just a few seconds beforehand.

"Her injuries vanished..." Lector mumbled,

Wendy gasped for air as she shook while trying to stay standing, Sherria smiled a bit.

"Are you alright? You look like you're barely standing..... Do you just want to give up?" Sherria asked. Wendy frowned, still puffing as Sherria tilted her head. "I don't mind fighting but, there's little love in such one-sided violence when it's pretty clear whose the winner..... it is okay to give up, ya know." Wendy's fists clenched,

"No... I can't. Fairy Tail doesn't give up." Wendy murmured and she gave Sherria a look of pure determination. "I'll keep fighting until I can no longer stand!"

_Hmm...... there's that fire again....._

"Heh.... I can get behind that!" Sherria smiled, her Magic flaring as she smirked. "Well then Wendy, it's my turn now~! I'm gonna finish this battle with one strike!"

Hora felt another shiver run down her spine, sweatdropping slightly.

_.... what the hell..... is that Sherria's Magic.....?_

Her Magic began to take on the form of feathers, bits of ebony swirling up around her and taking on the form of wings as she spun-

"Sky God's Secret Art;"

_...... two Secret Arts in one fight....?_

She gulped, her eyes glittering in shock,

_This Magic Power...._

"Sherria, stop!!"

Hora stiffened, her ears catching the familiar tone of Lyon from somewhere in the arena.

"You mustn't use that Spell here!" _That sounds like Jura-_

_Sherria, what are you going to do...?!_

"The full strength of your convictions will be met with my full strength! That is Love!" Sherria called,

"Heavenly Gathering of Clouds!!"

The feathers of Magic struck out toward Wendy in a vortex of devastating power that made _everything_ shake-

_H-Holy crap....!_

The vortex shot out over Wendy's head, barely missing her as the little Dragon Slayer tensed under the sheer pressure of it- Hora stared.

_Did she.... miss....?_

"Oh! That was so cool! You used your Magic to recover my Physical Strength! That way my Magic's momentum got way out of hand and totally missed you!" Sherria beamed, looking thrilled and impressed. "Your battle strategy is amazing!!"

_.... ah.... that is impressive..... quick thinking too...._

Wendy launched herself forward, her hand swinging back and Magic streaming off her fingers as she swiped out toward Sherria- tearing straight through her arm and earning a well of blood, but Sherria only healed it right away.

The fight dragged on, the air shaking and whirling as both girls fought with their all, Magic thrown this way and that and pushing themselves farther, harder- never letting up for even a second as everyone watched with the utmost intrigue and fervor.

Hora never took her eyes off the match for even a second,

_They are both so young... and so powerful, it's truly amazing_

They were both forced to halt when the timer went off, thirty minutes ending as both Wendy and Sherria stopped- puffing and out of breath.

"The Match is over!! And it is a draw!!! Both Teams earn Five Points!!!"

Hora hummed a little, her head tilting a bit as she let out a silent breath.

_...... that was quite the fight...._

_'Indeed.'_

Wendy fell to her knees, no longer able to keep herself up anymore. Sherria started forward toward her, smiling warmly.

"Are you in a lot of pain? I'm sorry about all that.." Sherria hummed,

"No... I'm okay..." Wendy stammered, Sherria chuckled, taking a knee in front of the girl as her Magic flared and she started to heal her injuries.

"That was fun, Wendy." Sherria smirked, Wendy smiled in embarrassment.

"I.... I enjoyed it a little bit too." She chuckled,

"Let's be friends, Wendy." Sherria smiled brightly, Wendy blushed, before she smiled back.

"Yeah, Sherria!"

Hora felt her heart twist a little out of nowhere, seeing the thing that couldn't possibly happen in SaberTooth... not with Jiemma ruling it, not with Minerva

Friendship between Guilds.... open friendship, _safe_ friendship.

Her jaw clenched at the thought, her yes shifting sideways to see the faint tenseness and even yearning in the faces of Rufus, Orga, Lector, Frosch, Sting and Rogue... she knew they wanted that too.

_...... some day.... some day I swear..... this will happen for us too_

* * *

 

_Today was..... watching Fairy Tail was.... unbelievable...._

Her eyes flashed, her lips pulling into a tight line as she felt a sting creep up behind her eyes out of nowhere, and it wasn't from the wafting steam coming up from the water of the shower.

Her head tilted forward, her forehead falling against the damp tile of the shower wall, the water falling down over her head and her multicolor hair running with the moisture.

_....... they were amazing......... they are doing so well.... and I'm happy they are...... but if they are this good, then SaberTooth..... we're in trouble......_

Her hands against the wall curled into fists, her eyes scrunching closed as the water rolled down her face and she just stood there, silent, rigid.

_...... if SaberTooth loses the Grand Magic Games...... Jiemma is going to be furious..... and this time his anger is going to be aimed at everyone, not just me...... he almost killed me for helping Fairy Tail..... if we lose to them......_

Her jaw clenched, her teeth grinding.

_......shit._

_What do I do....?_

* * *

 

Hora let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly as she ran her fingers through the damp of her hair, her lips pulled into a tight line and eyes on the floor as she left the bathroom behind- opening the door producing a cloud of steam that flooded the room.

Drops of water fell onto the russet red crop top she had on, a pair of black pajama shorts to go with it, she was ready for bed in all honesty... and it was getting late. They had all eaten dinner and the like, Hora relaying what Yukino had said in her letter and leaving them as confused and worried about what the Celestial Mage was up to as she was.... things were also tense with everyone else too- because they realized what she did, Fairy Tail was going to be hard to beat, and the implications of losing.....

_..... this worry is starting to eat at me.... I feel like crap..... and my stomach is throbbing, and my goddamn cheek and ear too......._

She grumbled under her breath, her hand falling down on to her stomach lightly as a sharp stab of pain ran through it, biting down on her tongue as her steps faltered just a little bit. It was still raw, and an actual open wound in a few places, a big, round hole that had turned into patch of inflamed and scarred up skin (actually... mostly burned skin) on the center of her abdomen and left no smaller amount of damage on the inside (though you couldn't see that bit)- and it still hurt like hell of course... she'd have to bandage her stomach again.

_... I hope I still have some bandages in my bag...._

"O-oh my god...!"

"Hora....?! T-that...!"

"Atia...!?!"

Hora stopped dead, her eyes snapping open and her heart leaping at the sudden voices out of nowhere- she glanced up quickly, sweatdropping heavily and noticing for the first time that the room was not _empty._

Her dark blue gaze flicked between Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch- all of whom had been sitting around the table in the room, and they had glanced over as she emerged from the bathroom- but she hadn't any idea they had come in, or when.... but all of them were rounding on her now, climbing to their feet in haste and faces twisting in shock and no small amount of worry as they found the wound on her abdomen, and blanched at the sight of it.

It was after all the first time they really got a look at what wound she said she had-

They were in front of her in about three seconds, hovering and fidgeting as they looked her up and down, glancing feverishly between her face and her stomach.

"Hora this is awful..!" Rogue hissed,

"Geez, I know you said you got banged up but this looks like you got impaled!" Sting snapped lowly, his tone harsh and worried all at once.

_Well I mean pretty close to it-_

"Are you really okay to be up and about...?!" Lector and Frosch mewed frantically,

"Sit down!" Rogue ordered, his hand finding her hand as he gently started to pull her over and toward the bed, like she was some child-

"Wait a minute..." Hora mumbled,

"Ya can't be running around with a hole through you-!" Sting scolded lowly,

Hora grimaced, her eyes flashing as Rogue's hand found her shoulder and she was pushed into sitting on the edge of the bed- not able to argue with it as the Shadow Dragon Slayer darted off toward the side and _her_ bag, Lector and Frosch floated in front of her, bristling and eyes wide as they looked at her- and Sting stood beside them, hissing.

"Why the hell didn't you say it was this bad..?!" Sting snapped hotly, his hands on his hips and earning a flat stare from Hora- and a small flinch when his voice raised enough to make her ear ring, again.

"... because it's not?" She deadpanned lowly, he scowled.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you with that giant freaking wound!" He retorted shortly, she growled under her breath, her eyes glittering in annoyance and pain now-

"What actually happened, Atia? You said the Demon gave you... that...?" Lector asked hesitantly, Hora sighed, her face falling in her hand as she deflated a little bit.

"..... look, it really just looks worse than it is, you guys don't need to freak out over it....." She grumbled lowly, "..... what happened is.... well I got stabbed by one of the Demon's claws-" She broke off when she literally felt everyone in the room stiffen at the words, and she growled under her breath. "- it's fine, seriously- I already got checked out by a doctor, it honestly doesn't even hurt that bad. I can still move and walk around and do everything and I swear _I am fine._ "

She earned a disbelieving look from the Exceeds, Sting, and Rogue alike when he came back- his hands filled up with bandages and frowning at her.

"Stop glaring at me!" She snapped hotly, both Sting and Rogue let out low, almost animalistic growls. She hated herself for snapping though, a sharp rush of pain running through her ear and her cheek and her stomach, and she growled at it.

".... tch..... Now why the hell are you in here anyway?" Hora snapped lowly, lowering her voice again, "I don't remember inviting you into my room."

"... Sting-kun wasn't really ready to go to bed yet, so we all came in to see if you wanted to play cards with us." Lector explained softly,

"Rogue wasn't tired either ~" Frosch added in, both Exceeds shooting her looks that she understood in an instant, and she sweatdropped.

"..... I know you guys are worked up...." Hora sighed, both Dragon Slayers grimaced a bit, looking uneasy to have her say it out loud. ".... Me too..... But you can't let it get to you. Don't forget, you're both strong as hell and I know you have it in you to contend with whatever gets thrown at you." Her eyes flashed a bit as she glanced up between Rogue and Sting in turn,

".... give it your all.... Just be yourselves..... It will be enough." She murmured quietly, her voice dropping slightly as their eyes glittered at the words.

_.... I hope..._

They nodded,

"Yeah, you got it." Sting murmured, Rogue said nothing- he nodded too but there was lingering worry in him that Sting didn't have... Couldn't have, because only Rogue knew.

Hora couldn't meet his eyes in the next instant and she hated herself for it.

"... I'll play a few games with you, maybe thrashing you at cards will wear you out enough to put you to sleep." She smirked slightly, switching gears to try and lessen the tenseness.

"Oi, you ain't winning." Sting replied instantly,

"Yeah Atia, everyone knows I'm gonna win~" Lector purred, for once not rushing to place Sting in the spotlight- as made sense... Lector really was better than the lot of them at card games, at least 90% of the time.

"Not today Bud," Sting smirked, Lector simply shrugged.

"You say that now~" the red tomcat sighed, Frosch lift a paw.

"Fro thinks so too!" Hora smiled slightly at it and Sting grumbled,

"Hey, what do you say about getting some snacks?" Lector asked, the frown on Sting's face faded as he smirked.

"Heck yeah, let's sneak into the kitchen and grab some stuff~!"

"You're always hungry, huh?" Hora hummed, he chuckled.

"While we're there I'll grab some ice." He told her, Hora blinked, brow quirking, confused. Sting gestured lightly toward the bruising still persistent on her cheek, smiling softly now. "For that, it's still pretty swollen right?" she sweatdropped, before letting out a sigh.

".... Yeah, alright.... That's a good idea." she admitted, he smirked.

"I'm full of good ideas."

"Only sometimes." Lector and Hora said at the same time and Sting's eye twitched.

"Oi." He growled, Lector only purred and headed off toward the door with Frosch at his side- smirking slightly over his shoulder.

"You're 40-60, Sting-kun. 40% of the time you use your brain, the other 60%? Not so much~" Lector smirked, Sting was already chasing both Exceeds down and out the door.

"40-60?! I use my head way more often than that!" The White Dragon Slayer hissed, the door swinging shut as they left in a hurry and Hora was left sitting on the bed with Rogue standing next to her, both of them... Quiet.

Hora's eyes dropped closed, her composure deflating a bit as she leaned back, her hands moving behind her to prop her up a bit, sweatdropping when the movement earned a sharp stab of pain running through her stomach, and she swallowed against it.

Rogue's eyes flashed when he saw Hora's face scrunch up slightly in a silent show of pain, his lips pulled into a tight line and his heart clenching as he let his gaze drop down toward the wound on her stomach again... and his heart ached more.

She said she had been unconscious for a whole week, right? He knew she got hurt, knew it had to be bad... but he didn't imagine it was that bad.

And what caught his attention more than anything was the fact that the scar wasn't a normal scar from a gash or a cut... it looked burned.

".... Hora." He mumbled quietly, his eyes glittering as she cracked one open and glanced his way. Rogue settled down a bit on the bed next to her, the bandages still in hand and eyes fixed on the wound.

"........ you said you got stabbed..... but this looks more like a burn." He mumbled softly, she sweatdropped a bit, her posture stiffening on instinct.

His hands fidgeted slightly, unwinding the bandages a bit and starting to gently run them around her torso, softly, gently- Hora leaned forward a bit and lift her arms to stay out of his way, her eyes glittering as she watched him start to work and not bothering to argue with him being the one to do it... she had a feeling that would be useless if she tried.

"..... you're resistant to fire, so.... what happened really...?" Rogue asked softly,

* * *

 

_Hora went deathly still, her eyes widening in shock and utter pain as her fall back down toward the fall, and her watching of her Magic running through Neveleous' jaw screeched to a sudden, deadly halt._

_She coughed, her lungs searing with fire as blood spurted past her lips and painted the air around her, her body lurching backward and all time suddenly crashing to a halt on a single moment,_

_Agony spread through her body, spiraling across every joint, every bone, muscle, tendon and nerve- she smelled her blood heavy on the air and felt the sticky warmth splash against her chest and neck, and immediately spill and fall down her legs and toward the floor still far, far below._

_She heard her skin and muscle snap, felt it- her stomach searing so red hot it was cold, the iron taste of her own blood flooded her mouth as she coughed again, gasping as it dripped past her lips and down her chin. She was shaking, suspended in air as one of Neveleous' giant, razor sharp claws plunged itself deep into her stomach. Deep enough to do some serious damage, enough she was losing a lot of blood instantly- but it had just barely managed not to go deep enough to rip right through her body, and out her back._

_Not that it made it any better-_

_The time that slowed down as the claw plunged into her torso suddenly sped up again, her body lurching backwards as she was thrown away and slammed into the ground, hard._

_Hora yelped, her body sliding backwards across the ground. The stone caved in where she first hit it, her body skidding painfully across fractured earth and cement and stone and other debris- leaving a long, thick, deep red trail of blood behind in her path to smear over the floor._

_She crashed into a halt when she slammed against a mountain of uplifted stone, destruction, and ice, her body curling in on itself as she lays on her side, her arms holding her torso and already drenched in sticky blood that gave no indication of stopping. The black markings that had filled in to cover her completely started to break apart, retreating back to her arms as she coughed again, blood spilling past her lips as she hissed._

_'H-Horatia...!'_ _Lixue sounded so very far away._

* * *

 

Hora swallowed, her hands balling up slightly around the sheets of the bed.

"..... I was serious.... I did get stabbed.... but....." She mumbled, Rogue blinked, his eyes flicking up toward her only to see her eyes were closed, her expression... pained.

His hands moving to wrap up the wound stalled for a second,

* * *

 

_The Demon crumbled onto the ground, it's body losing color as it's life faded fast. It lay still and unmoving as the ice crept over it's body, trapping it in silence._

_Hora tried to land on her feet, but she only slammed into the ground the second after trying. She slid a little over the ice, before coming to a halt as silence rained down over the Guild Hall that had been gripped in utter chaos for so long._

_She coughed again, the world a wash of grey and darker grey, hardly able to keep her eyes open as she came to a halt._

_Something fluttered down through the air in front of her among the soft snowfall that had encased the building, before hitting the ice a few paces in front of her, and too far to reach- not that she could move her arm to try and grab it anyway. Her body just... wasn't working any longer._

_... heh... I..... I w-won...._

_She felt something warm fall down her cheek, salty liquid that splashed against the ice where she let her head lay._

_..... t...tch... but..... I-i......_

_There was the dim glow of red that seemed to bleed into the grey and the pale... blue._

_...... f..figures.... I... i.....i've.... lost t-too.... m...much.... blood......_

_Her eyes fell closed, the silence deafening on her ears as her consciousness started to slip away- pain and cold mixed with something rueful._

_.....o...of cour..se........ I... i.......d...id......_

_She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom. She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin._

_She was suffocating....._

_The bell chimed nearly painfully loud in the silence that seemed to engulf that icy, blood-ridden site of destruction, its tenor ringing off stone and snow and ice and water alike,_

_The words 'Idiots Calling' were slowly disappearing under the sticky crimson dripping down over and staining the cards face, the Call left untouched as it continued to ring, the puddle of scarlet liquid grew until the card was becoming submerged in it._

_Everything was utterly quiet, the only thing that rung from the ice was the chime of the Card...._

_No one heard Lixue's voice calling one word, one name._

_'....h..... Hor.....atia.....!'_

_She couldn't hear Lixue anymore, not his voice... Not how terrified he sounded._

_Her body wouldn't move anymore. She willed her hand to move toward the Card, but it didn't work._

_It remained where it had fallen, her body limp, never catching hold of the one thing that would let her see the people she fought so hard for. Her bloody fingers just inches short,_

_Everything was just numb..... Empty._

_The card-face went black, the chiming of the bell cutting off to sheer silence, drowning now in the sticky scarlet pool of blood._

_Nothing stirred, no noise, no sound... Everything was deathly still._

_Can a Devil Slayer be slain by a Demon twice....?_

_I.... I was supposed... To go back....._

_.... i....... i'm..... s...o........s....orr....y_

_'...y..... ou're.......... bl........eeding........o...ut....!'_

_'...... w..... ake........ u...p....!'_

_'........ a....... y.....ou...... c...................an't.......... j............us...t..... die....!'_

_The numbness receded, just a little...._

_'..... y....ou..................ha..........ve....... to.......!'_

_'....... be.....fore....... you.....!'_

_There was a small little light, somewhere there in the deep, empty black.... something chilly blue. The silence breaking, just a little...._

_'...... you.... h....ave...... to...... try.....!'_

_She groaned, her head whirling, her body felt like it was bobbing up and down in the ocean. Back and forth, drowning..._

_'...... if... you.... l....ose...... anymore...... blood....!'_

_'..... you will... die!'_

_Her eyes fluttered open weakly, her breath a haze in front of her._

_"....l.....Lix...ue..." She breathed,_

_'....... you can't lose anymore blood, Horatia..!' Lixue's voice was getting louder, harsher on her ears. '... those Magic Council men.... they must be looking for you...!'_

_The ice was red_

_'... you cannot bleed to death before they find you! You have to stay awake!'_

_Her eyes dropped again, her breath shuddering._

_"... I.. I can't...." She stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper. She trailed off tough, her eyes opening just a little more._

_"...... f...fuck..... o... of c...ourse....i...if. I......"_

_'Horatia-'_

_".....I... i h...ave...t-to......."_

_'.... y-you...!?'_

_Light bounced off the blood-soaked ice, the air filling with the scent of burn and blood and salt._

_She screamed, her voice echoing off the ice and the stone, the shrill sound carrying through the deadly silent halls._

* * *

 

"I was.... it messed me up, pretty badly...." Hora mumbled, her head tilting down a bit so her bangs hid her face from view. "...... I managed to work through it... long enough to win.... to kill the Demon..... but after that..... I was just spent.........."

Rogue stiffened, his heart skipping a beat as he peered into her face- or rather tried too, but her her head was tilted down too far.

"... sorry.... you don't really want to hear it, Rogue." Hora mumbled, he frowned, his mouth falling in protest but he got cut off-

"...... I lost a lot of blood.... I was bleeding pretty bad and I knew it..... I said I was coming back, so I did what I could to make sure of that." Hora mumbled, her voice dropping so, so low.

Her head tilted up, just slightly as she glanced his way, smiling sadly and a bit nervous too-

"..... without going too far into the details.... I used my Magic, to close up the wound as much as I could." She mumbled, her eyes flashing as his face fell and his hands trembled a bit with the bandages still held in them, it felt like his heart stopped.

_She.... she what...?_

She grimaced slightly, her head tilting a bit as she let out a breath.

"... you asked." She mumbled softly, "... I'm sorry... I told you that you didn't want to hear it..... but I really am alright, I promise."

His hands felt so numb out of nowhere he nearly dropped the bandages altogether, his eyes fixed on her and completely silent- rigid as can be and not daring to breath, his mind whirling and thoughts suddenly filled with the images and ideas as he _imagined_ that.

How much pain that would have caused? The sheer agony that came from _burning_ closed _your own wound_...? Being forced into it, because she was bleeding to death...?!

Hora smiled sadly, sweatdropping slightly when she saw the way his eyes were glinting, the worry and fear in his expression.

"... You're not gonna start crying on me again, right.....?" she mumbled, as a joke- but her heart clenched anyway. He swallowed, frowning a bit at the question and Hora sighed. ".... Please don't....? I'm sorry, alright...? I know I've been worrying you guys a lot lately, but I'm back and I'm alive. I am fine, and I'll be good as new in a week or so." She promised lightly,

Rogue's shoulders sagged as he let out a low sigh, his eyes falling closed and away from her as he shook his head a bit.

He didn't say anything, he just went back to finishing up with winding the bandages around her stomach, his hands light and gentle as he did so and Hora's head tilted a bit.

"..... It's gonna take more than a week for this to heal up all the way, Hora." He said at length, his hands finally finding the end of the length of bandages he'd brought with him and leaning down a bit to tie them off,

 _'He is right.'_ Lixue commented dryly,

_Shush_

His fingers tied the bandages off, pulling it tight so it wouldn't come undone and Hora stiffened a little at the sensation- which he noticed instantly, and his heart twisted at the small hiss she let slip without meaning to.

"... Sorry..." He apologized softly, "...... Hora.... Please be more careful... Alright?" She blinked in surprise at the request out of nowhere, Rogue sitting up straighter as he glanced toward her, his red eyes glittering slightly.

".... Ah... Careful....?" She echoed a bit,

".... Its just.... You've been more hurt, more often the last few months than you've ever been in all the years we've known you." Rogue mumbled, ".... Now most of that.... Well, _all_ of that is Master's fault.... Even if not directly. But just recently you've gotten into more trouble than ever before.... And you keep getting hurt more often, more seriously.... And I don't.... I don't like it, I _hate_ it- so please.... If you can help it, try not to get into anymore trouble for awhile?" His eyes flashed as Hora sweatdropped slightly,

"I don't think I can handle another scare for awhile.... Me or anyone else." He mumbled, Hora let out a silent breath.

Her mouth dropped open to garner a reply, but she halted when shivers started to run up her spine out of nowhere, her heart skipping a beat as that same, odd, heavy feeling of dread suddenly rammed into her out of nowhere. That feeling from before, that-

_.... Something's not right._

Her eyes snapped away from Rogue and toward the window out of pure instinct, her thoughts filled for the briefest of seconds with the idea that maybe... _Is someone watching us?_

But the window was empty, the night sky a deep indigo and the distant shine of Crocus and it's night life was all there was to be seen, and she swallowed.

_.... I swear.... That feeling....... There had to be someone....._

Her nose twitched as she narrowed her eyes, but she only smelled the normal things- Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch.... And even faint whiffs of everyone else in SaberTooth.

_.... There's nothing that could belong to a stranger..... But what the hell.....? What is with this feeling....?_

_Its..... Bad, dangerous even...._

_'..... Curious indeed....'_ Lixue muttered lowly, he felt it too.

".... Hora?" Rogue murmured, his eyes narrowing at the way she'd turned her attention, and the way she seemed to tense up, alert. She glanced back to see the confusion on his face, and sweatdropped.

_..... He didn't seem to feel anything weird..... But I swear-_

She shook her head a bit, smiling just faintly to try and reassure him a little.

"... Ah, its nothing... I'm just tense...." She mumbled, he sweatdropped a bit at that.

".... As for your request.... I am sorry to worry you guys like this. If I can help it, I will do everything I can to stay out of trouble." she told him, her smile getting a bit calmer as her deep blue eyes flashed, and he seemed to relax a tiny bit at the firmness in her words.

"I promise."

... The dread never went away... Not even as their Card Games commenced, not when they ended (Lector the winner of course..), and not when everyone went to bed.

"Something wrong Sting-kun?"

"Hmm? Nah! I just got this weird feeling.... Like I'm gonna be able to fight with Natsu tomorrow."

He sounded so excited, Rogue was too.... At the prospect of fighting Gajeel

But that _dread-_

Hora was left alone in the room again, her eyes fixed outside the window, waiting, tense.... Her skin was crawling every few minutes.

_Was it.... Yukino...?_

Her stomach knotted at the thought, but somehow.... that didn't feel like all of it.

There was no letter back from her, no explanation on what that 'Project' was the King's Army was doing... Or why Yukino needed be a part of it.

Her skin crawled again, the silence of the room nearly deafening as her eyes narrowed to slits in the dark and shadow all around.

_What.... Why do I feel like this....? Like something bad is coming....?_

She swallowed a bit, her core knotting all the more.

_Something..... That scares me....._

That feeling persisted even in dreams, her sleep nothing close to being easy, her night lasting a thousand times longer as she bobbed in and out of swirling, battering black waves and into the quiet waking world that was just... more eerie than it should ever have been.

She gave up trying to sleep more long before morning rolled around and it was still there... And getting steadily worse, enough she was starting to feel nauseous.

There was like some deep, cold, looming shadow sitting at the corners of her vision- there and yet not.... Heavy and suffocating.

_So... So bad...._


	24. Spiraling

**Chapter 2** **4**

**Spiraling**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

_.... Something.... Something is_ **_wrong_ **

"... Mm... Morning Atia...!" Lector and Frosch mewed drowsily, half asleep still as they floated up behind her into the Box set for their Guild. The Colosseum itself was filling up fast as the day started up, and Hora had been there since early that morning- getting there long before anyone else in SaberTooth had gotten there.... She hadn't slept at all for this damn dreadful, foreboding, _bad_ feeling...

She'd had to get up and leave the Inn altogether, she couldn't sit there alone anymore and she couldn't be around them either- if they realized how worked up and tense she was right now? And without knowing why entirely?

_They don't need that, not right now.... They are all already worked up enough_

"You got up early today, huh?" Lector asked, breaking off halfway to yawn as she turned toward them a bit, and nodded. The early morning sunlight glittered off the large, massive sphere of water set above the ground in the center of the Colosseum- no doubt for the first Event of the day.

"Yeah, I walked around a bit and just decided to head here straight away." she murmured softly, her eyes trailing from the Exceeds and over toward the two Dragon Slayers that came in behind them. "Did you guys sleep alright?" She asked lightly, steering the subject away from herself while also casually checking to see if they were as tense as she was.... They were Dragon Slayers after all, right? They usually had some internal sense of things not being quite right, but the nods and small smiles she got back made it clear she was the only one feeling.... _This_.

"Yep." Sting hummed, his hands falling on his hips and stopping in front of her as his head tilted- smiling still. "Hey, that ice last night helped, huh? That bruise has faded along with the swelling~" he smirked, leaning in a little to get a better look at said bruise on her cheek- Hora nodded a bit, smiling just faintly.

"Yeah, I suppose you do have some good ideas sometimes." she replied without skipping a beat. He sweatdropped a bit but didn't get worked up, he simply sighed and shook his head a little as Lector and Frosch chuckled beside him.

"That's a lot of water." Lector mumbled,his head tilting passed Hora and eyes locking to the sphere full up with enough water it would have likely turned the arena floor into a lake.

".... it'd take a lot of Magic to hold up something that heavy.." Rogue mumbled nearly all to himself, Hora agreed- because again.... who the hell runs the Games?! And makes all the stuff that goes into them?!

"Gooooooooood Morning everyone! And welcome to the Fourth Day of the Grand Magic Games! Thank you for sticking with us, we will be starting shortly!"

Hora glanced up slightly at the sound of the Announcer's voice suddenly ringing out around the Colosseum, sending the four of them into silence as they listened in.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what we have in store for today! That contraption you see before you is part of our first event of the day, it's called; Naval~!"

_Well that seems a bit on the nose..._

"Let me rundown the rules for you really quickly! Each Guild will send out one member of their team to participate! The stakes are as follows, each member will do their best to stay within the confines of the water while the other Teams try to knock them out! Points will be awarded based on what place you are knocked out from, so first person out gets the least points and so forth! Once there are only two people left, a five minute Timer will start! To have any hopes of Second Place, you must stay in the water for the whole of the five minutes- or automatically get kicked into last place! Teams! Please send out your participants!"

Hora's head tilted backward toward the Arena as she blinked, her ears training away from her immediate area and toward the Arena floor.

"First up is Rocker from Quatro Puppy! And then we have Risley Law for Mermaid Heel!"

"Is Rufus gonna participate?" Frosch asked,

"Nah, should be Orga~! He could just zap everyone in the water no problem~!" Lector purred,

"Fro thinks that's a little dangerous..." Frosch mumbled, Hora would have to agree- but she also trusted Orga not to go overboard on the matter.

"Jenny Realight from Blue Pegasus joins the fray! And then the lovely Juvia Lockser from Fairy Tail Team B!" The Announcer went on as people entered the Arena, "And then Sherria Blendy from Lamia Scale!"

_Sherria huh...._

"It won't be either of us."

Hora's eyes snapped back toward the entrance to the Box in surprise, her attention falling on both of Rufus and Orga as they stepped inside, and she sweatdropped.

".... so the Lady plans to join the first event..?" Sting mumbled, immediately looking tense- they all did.

"She insisted it was time she step in." Rufus murmured coolly, his eyes finding Hora as she swallowed a bit, her eyes darkening slightly.

_Of course she did-_

"For Fairy Tail Team A- we have Lucy Heartfilia!"

Hora went rigid, and everyone in the box around her immediately tensed up too- she must have gone very pale, because all eyes snapped toward her and she could _feel_ their seriousness and slight spark of panic- just as she felt her own.

Her heart dropped into the very bottom of her feet, her lungs ceasing to catch any air and her pulse quickened into a terrified, frantic, terror-driven speed as she stood there, so, so cold at her center she was _hurting._

_N..no...._

She was stiff in her spot, frozen to where she was and unable to move a muscle, she could feel her heartbeat thrumming a million miles a second through every inch of her person as the world seemed silent and deaf to her outside of it- outside of...

"And SaberTooth's Minerva Orlando comes into the play! The Naval Battle will begin shortly!"

_W... was this...... t..that feeling....? That dread...?_

"Hora...." Rogue started lowly, his hand reaching out toward her as his red eyes glittered- she didn't look at him.

Rufus and Orga exchanged glances between themselves and then with Sting and the Exceeds, all of them sweatdropping and expressions serious.

_Why.... of all days..... Lucy and Minerva are in the same event..... and.... and after all that shit Salamander pulled....._

She gulped, her eyes glittering as she kept on staring at the floor.

_..... I... I know Minerva..... she's going to single Fairy Tail out for that.... a...and......_

_N....no....no.....!_

She whipped around, her body finally listening to her again as her eyes locked on to the Arena and her jaw snapped shut.

Everyone else around her jumped slightly at how quickly she had turned around, easily able to see the fear and the concern etched into her face as she let her hands fall on the railing, her fingernails digging into the stone.

".....tch....... I swear...." Hora hissed lowly, her voice something shy of a whisper. The other Sabers behind her all looked between one another, sweatdropping heavily.

The day just turned into a whole level of bad they hadn't anticipated, and they realized in an instant- they remembered what Hora said... that she'd worked with Fairy Tail, with Natsu and Happy and Lucy.

They knew she thought of them fondly, as friends even to those Fairy Tailers- and right now one of those new friends was right in the center of the Lady of SaberTooth's icy stare, and they all _knew_.

_This is bad_

_Shit.... shit....! I swear... if Minerva...!_

Rogue swallowed, his hand finding her shoulder and making her jump as he stopped to stand beside her- Lector and Frosch on the railing just in front of him and Sting on her other side. Hora's eyes shift over toward him, narrowed and glittering as he let out a small breath- and the look he gave her was clearly one that said _don't._

_Don't because if you get mad, or protest against this.... you'll end up hurt or worse._

She knew that, of course she knew that- she had to stay levelheaded, like always... keep her mouth shut.

_I hate it_

She huffed, frowning slightly as her eyes moved from him and toward the Arena almost stubbornly, and Rogue sweatdropped more.

_I swear.... if Minerva does anything.... I'll-!_

_'..... protest, and end up dead.'_

Lixue's words did nothing to calm her down

The gong rang around the Arena, the spectators and crowds all around roaring in excitement as Hora dug her fingernails further into the stone railing- glittering blue eyes fixed on SaberTooth's Lady and nothing else, her heart hammering in her chest in both terror and hate.

_'Keep calm, Horatia.'_

Easier said than done... and she didn't know if she had much will to keep herself in check anymore...... she hadn't, since coming back. The hesitation (and better judgment maybe...) had started to fade in her heart and her consciousness, and she just.....

"Sorry everyone, but I'm knocking all of you out right off the bat!" Lucy grinned, a Golden Key in hand as she twisted it in the water- and a Magic Circle appeared with the chiming of a bell.

"Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"

"Raaahhh!!! The Water is my playground!!!" The very enraged looking Spirit made an appearance, a jug held aloft over her head as the water began to churn with fervor-

"I won't let you! Water Cyclone!"

The other Fairy Tail Mage swept her arms forward as the spinning vortex of water from Lucy's Spirit was matched with a second one brought to life by the bluenette from Fairy Tail Team B. Both cyclones of water smashed into one another, matching on one another and stalling- evenly matched in power as both Lucy's Spirit and the other Fairy seemed stunned at it.

Hora's eyes still didn't leave Minerva for even a split second, not even when Jenny kicked the Quatro Puppy Mage from the water and Sherria started in on trying to knock someone else out.

"This isn't going well..... so I'm gonna bail." Aquarius mumbled,

"W-what?!" Lucy snapped, "B-but you're the best I have in the water, I need you!"

"Don't yell at me, you called me here when I was busy as it is." The Spirit snapped, a wry smirk falling across her features. "Anyway~! I have a date to get too~!"

"Wait a minute!" Lucy snapped, but Aquarius had already gone- and Lucy got slammed into by the water, being sent spinning out toward the edge in a panic.

And Hora _hated_ herself to think maybe Lucy would be pushed out- lose, yes- but out of Minerva's grasp and interest.

"Open! Gates of the Maiden and the Ram!"

Lucy had already taken out two more keys in the matter of a few seconds,

"Virgo and Aries!"

There erupted a wall of fluff as two pairs of hands grabbed tight hold of Lucy and she ran into the fluff- saving her falling from the water with not a second to spare, two Spirits who looked like young woman in bathing suits appearing with Lucy and making the crowds (well, more the men...) drool.

Hora's teeth ground down on one another, her eyes flicking sideways away from Lucy and back toward-

"I'll knock everyone out in one fell swoop!" Juvia announced, the water spinning with her hands and her Magic as she set her sights on the rest of the competitors- and the water was absolutely _thrumming._

The water rushed out on all sides, great currents ramming into Sherria, Jenny and Risley all at once and sending them spinning out of the water sphere and out of the game in the course of a few seconds- she might have been impressed with it, Juvia was clearly a masterful Water Mage, but even so...

 _..... tch.... of course Minerva didn't even flinch...._ _And the fact that she's waited this long-_

Lucy kept herself in by only a hair, struggling along with her Spirits.

"Incredible!! Juvia from Fairy Tail Team B has knocked out three opponents in one fell swoop!" The Announcer roared, "No one can match Juvia's might in the water!!"

Hora hissed, her eyes flashing as Minerva's hand swept out in one, calm, deliberate motion- toward Juvia.

_F...fuck....!_

The whole of the crowd and their cheering and fervor seemed to falter- eyes wide and completely lost as Juvia suddenly appeared outside the water and was left to the mercy of gravity, falling to the Arena floor and taken back as much as anyone else.

"W-what...?!"

"What just happened?!"

"Huh?!"

"J... Juvia has fallen from the water! What a turn-!"

".... She could have easily thrown all of them out from the start...." Orga muttered, face tense and shoulders rigid- just like everyone else in the SaberTooth Box.

They all knew that- and the fact that Minerva hadn't done just that....

Hora's shoulders were rigid, her eyes glittering and a large bead of sweat falling down her face as she bit the inside of both cheeks without giving a damn how painful doing so was on the side that Jiemma had hit.

_S...shit.....!!_

"Lucy and Minerva are the only ones left in the Orb! The five minute Timer starts now!"

Minerva and Lucy were facing one another, the blonde all levels of tension and Saber's Lady nothing but cool- smiling slightly at the Fairy and only mildly amused.

"Hmm... with my Magic I could easily throw you out of the water in all but a few seconds." Minerva told Lucy lowly, "However.... that wouldn't be very entertaining."

Hora's heart skipped a beat, her face paling at that smirk that drew across Minerva's lips, the sheer, calm, subdued malice she had seen so many time right before Minerva did something that had her _hurting-_

Minerva's hand lift, the water shimmering and bubbling around her fingers almost white- Hora could hear the hissing and her stomach flipped.

Lector grabbed to one of her arms and Frosch held lightly to the other one, both Exceeds casting her anxious glances- Hora still never let her eyes wander, she was fixed, riveted-

_.... terrified..._

The blazing hot ball of heat rammed into Lucy's side, pushing her sideways and earning a yell of pain from the blonde that run around the whole of the Arena, and sent shivers running down Hora's spine... shivers in the same instant that the fire in her core burned brighter, wilder-

"Lucy!" Natsu's voice echoed through the noise of the crowd and everything in between, Hora picked it out in an instant. ".... tch... shit....!"

_I... I tried to warn you..._

Another blast of heat slammed down on Lucy from above, leaving her just as bruised, bloody and singed as the first. Lucy's hand shot down to her waist, looking for her Keys- but didn't find them.

Minerva's hand lift with the key's strung between her fingers and smiling so, so coldly still. Lucy blanched, her eyes wide and the panic setting in.

"... M...My Keys... but when did she..?!" Lucy stammered, Minerva snapped her fingers and a large blast of heat that felt like lead rammed into her again, throwing her backward toward the edge with enough force the entire orb seemed to shake.

_... shit..... shit...!_

_4:07 left_

Lucy's arms struck out, paddling furiously to keep herself from falling out of the water and being dropped into last place- _but.... that..... d...damn it....!_

"Oh?" Minerva hummed lowly, her voice cool but not without that cold, stinging malice and intrigue- the same sickeningly amused tone that the 'Lady' used when she-

Hora's hands gripped tighter around the edge of the stone railing, hard enough it cracked, just a little- and the Exceeds held tighter to her arms, unaware of the deep, shinning ebony black that had appeared on her hands and was slowly creeping upward.

Another blast of heat and pure force rammed into Lucy and sent her forward, her scream of pain was ringing off wall and water and it made the fire burn brighter- the terror slowly getting swallowed up more and more by hot... burning... rage.....

_3:14 left_

Sting and Rogue grimaced a bit, their expressions mimicked by Orga, Rufus and the Exceeds as they felt their cores knot a little as Minerva kept on sending the Heat/Pressure attacks out at the Fairy Tailer, ever aware of what prickling, heavy weight had settled over the box and how much the air seemed to be getting warmer... aware of that rigid form of Hora standing so stiffly there between them and her face nothing but fear and anger all mixed in with pain as she forced herself to stay standing there, quiet. Aware that with every hit Lucy took, and every sound of her pain- Hora flinched, and more and more as the sheer, careless brutality continued on- Hora was shaking.

Aware that she was losing her grip on herself and her emotions, aware of those dark Markings getting longer and stretching passed her hands and up her arms- aware that the air around them wasn't just heavy with tension. No, it was getting hot in the box- and Lector and Frosch had to let go of their hold on Hora's arm once the Markings made her skin too warm to the touch to risking holding on to her right now.

_1:05 left_

The fire burning in her core wasn't icy hot, it was just burning, blinding, boiling... white hot it was like lava, swirling and churning, rushing through her from her center, running through every vein, every inch of her blood and setting off a chain reaction- no matter how hard she tried to keep it down. She pushed it away, did her best to keep the Markings from stretching- from letting her emotions get out of hand, but the more she watched, the more she heard Lucy's screams.....

_..... I..... I want..... to...._

Her lips curled, her jaw clenched so hard she might have cracked a tooth, her face pulling into a snarl even as she desperately held herself back. Trying so, so hard to stop it from.... stop the fire....

_...... I... I can't....... if I..... do anything......._

It surged, she felt it vying for control again, eating away at her and persistent, strong-

_Stop her_

Lector and Frosch backed off of her a little, their eyes leaving the Arena all the way and ears pressed flat against their heads. The other Saber Members around them cast Hora wary glances, sweatdropping heavily when they saw such rage and hate in her eyes- her entire form trembling and the air stuffy from the sheer heat she was giving off with her emotions, and yet still she managed a way to stand there.

For now

"It's about time I knock you out of here all the way." Minerva sighed, sounding bored now as Lucy stayed where she was, bloody and bruised and panting for air.

_Stop her_

_N...no... wait...._

She couldn't hear Lixue trying to talk her down, he was just... gone- the fire was too loud, too strong.

".... I... I can't lose..." Lucy grumbled, "... I... I won't be able to face everyone else... they've all been working so hard..... I can't lose, I'd be letting them down." The blonde looked up, holding a badly burned arm but her eyes were so steely. "I can't let them down... I'm not going to give in to you." She growled,

Hora's heart stopped, the dread and worry and panic inside of her sharpening into a sharp point.

_With yet another sickening crunch, Master's foot came down upon Horatia as hard as he could manage. The young woman's entire body tensed at the almost unbearable amount of pain that flared up inside her, she tensed her jaw, biting down on her tongue as she kept herself absolutely silent._

_It was an unspoken rule really, the more noise anyone made while being hit or punished by the Master, only entailed the punishment more harsh. The Master hated anything that could be seen as weakness in the Guild, therefore... You had to stay as quiet as you possibly could. Horatia knew this rule, and yet trying to stick to it was harder than possibly imaginable... But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her yell, her anger was bubbling more and more._

Unspoken rule, stay quiet, don't talk back- everyone in SaberTooth knew that, and they knew it didn't apply to just the Master- but his daughter as well.

_L...Lucy..!_

Minerva's hand fell back a bit from being pointed at Lucy, the brutality and violence stalling for a few seconds as the Timer hit;

_30 seconds left_

But every single person in the Saber Box was stiff as a board, all of their faces paling and all of their hearts stopping as their blood turned to ice. They all knew how much a mistake that was, talking to Minerva like that-

_SHIT_

Hora's shoulders hunched, her body leaning over the railing a bit and shaking all over as the stone under her hands blackened and burned, and the air got about a few dozen degrees warmer.

Minerva's hand swung back before swinging forward again, the water a blinding bright white and absolutely boiling as her face twisted, rage and wicked amusement falling across her features as she settled that dangerous smile on Lucy- malice so potent it was like a spear through the heart.

_STOP HER_

Hora fidgeted, her feet shifting slightly but she still managed to just... _stop...!_

_Y..you can't.... you.... ca... calm down....y.. you......_

* * *

 

_The rest of the chains produced from the man's Magic snapped around Lucy, pressing tightly against her body and her arms, some of the links connecting themselves to the Nullification Cuffs and attaching themselves to the stone roof overhead, holding her tightly in place and dangling uncomfortably off the floor by barely an inch._

_The North Wind woman waved a hand nonchalantly, looking bored as the cell bars before them suddenly vanished, letting the North Wind Mages step through and inside the cell easily now that the Fairy Tailers had been rendered immobile._

_The Third Man smiled, he had drawn up in front of her with ever a hungry smile and now reached his hand up to curl his finger around a tendril of her hair, Lucy shuddered, squirming slightly to try and pull away even though she couldn't move. "You think Fairy Tail Wizards have a chance against us and a Demon of Zeref, huh?"  
_

_Lucy shivered, her eyes wide and looking mortified as his hand fell and moved toward her stomach, and toward the edge of her shirt._

_"QUIT IT!" Natsu's voice was absolutely seething, only to get cut off as the man to kick him before brought his boot down on his back, hard. The ground cracked underneath the Fire Dragon Slayer,_

_"I told you to shut it!"_

_"Natsu!" Happy stammered, eyes wide and glittering._

_"Hehe, see?" The Second Man smirked, "Fairy Tail rejects don't stand a chance against us."_

_"And this Fairy's too scared to even say anything, hmm?" The woman murmured, her expression bored as ever as she spared a glance toward the adjacent cell, her arms crossed over her chest and hip cocked. "Where did all that anger from before go, huh-?"_

_Her jaw dropped slightly, sweatdropping as her hands unhooked from about her chest, the words shaking in her throat, frozen as the cold and chill of the room was suddenly destroyed in a wave of sheer, choking heat that bounced off the stone._

_The dim was split apart in a brilliant, violent wave of deep crimson fire that suddenly swept out across the stone floor and from their right, the brilliance sweeping forward in front of Lucy, directly between her and the Man, who's trailing hand was suddenly snatched away._

_Lucy blinked, her jaw falling and her heart leaping in her chest, her eyes riveted and reeling just like everyone else in the room at the sudden unexpected development. Lucy was so transfixed she hardly even felt that wash of heat roll against her body, or flinched at the flames licking so close to her own body, but never touching her._

_Hora's hand snapped down onto the Third Man's wrist with an iron grip, her hand and her arm stained black, the markings trailing up her neck and creeping across her right cheek, pricking just under her eye, her body dancing with fire and her hand burning the man's wrist immediately upon grabbing hold of him- he yelped, trying to pull free though Hora didn't let go._

_The bars that had previously separated the Cells were a heap of melted metal, the chains that had been holding her down a mess where she had been but seconds before, trails of liquid gray seeping into the stone and even melting the rock itself._

_The other North Wind Mage's eyes snapped around in utter shock, anger and hints of fear making it's way into their features at seeing Hora suddenly free and completely caught off guard by her sheer power._

_"H-How did she get free...?!"_

_"S-Shit!!"_

_"Hora..!" Lucy breathed, Hora didn't seem to hear anything though, she moved, swiftly, deftly, her eyes cold and face twisted in hardly contained fury._

_Hora's grip on the offending man's wrist tightened, her body snapping around as she twisted, throwing him and his unwanted attention on Lucy, clear through the opening that had appeared in the bars, flame dancing off her person and off the floor around her as he yelled, smashing into the ground down the corridor in front of them. The North Wind Mages recoiled, faces paling slightly and stunned, unable to move in their shock as their eyes landed on Hora, shaking as their gazes snapped from the black covering her skin and toward that icy blue Guild Symbol that remained clear under the pitch black consuming her person, visible with her sleeve having been destroyed enough with the sudden rise in power to let her shoulder-blade remain bare._

_"W-wait?!"_

_"She's SaberTooth?!?!"_

_"S-SHIT!!"_

_Hora hadn't paused for hardly a second, her seething dark blue gaze snapping immediately toward that man that stood beside the still downed Natsu, his hands swiping upward in reaction as he readied himself to throw his Magic toward her._

_Hora's Magic swept out over the ground in two directions, a wall of crimson, angry fire tearing up the floor and headed straight toward that man, and the other two North Wind Mages left standing behind her now, her arms swinging up around her body as she spun halfway._

_The look on her face was icy rage, dark... murderous._

_The black markings spread further up her cheek, crossing over her eye as the heat rolling from her Magic seemed to triple._

_"Crimson Flame."_

_Her voice sent a shiver down Lucy and Happy's spines, their hearts skipping a beat in tune with Natsu's, a trickle of blood falling from his temple and his face tense as he watched Hora in rigid silence._

_The shouts of pain from the North Wind mages rung on the air with the hissing and the booming of Hora's Magic as it made contact with them, sending them flying and knocking them senseless instantly, even as their own Magic flared to try and defend against that fast moving wall of fire- they were absolutely no match for her, and the sheer extent her Magic had reached in such a small amount of seconds had them all reeling and breathless._

_"H-holy cow...!" Happy stammered breathlessly, Natsu sweatdropped, his eyes snapping from Hora for the first time toward the four North Wind Mages she had just disposed of so easily, his ears straining and still, blinking a few times._

_".... she knocked them all out..." The pinkette mumbled under his breath, his eyes trailing back toward Hora, who had halted for a moment, the flame dancing around her dying, slowly, her eyes closed and stiff._

_"That was amazing, Hora!" Happy grinned,_

_"... thank you for the save...!" Lucy sighed, looking breathless and utterly relieved at the turn in events. "... I'm so glad you stopped that guy... such a creep!" She shuddered at the thought, blinking for a moment when she realized Hora hadn't said anything, or moved for a few moments, her Magic faded now, though the air still felt hot despite it being gone._

_Hora swallowed, hard, the Fairy Tailer's voices lost on her ears almost entirely as she forced herself into a complete standstill, fighting with herself to quell what rage and fury had risen up and what violent a way her Magic had manifested because of. Though she didn't show it outwardly, it had taken every inch of concentration she had to just... not, let herself get so out of hand and her Magic with it. Had she not been actively focusing on keeping herself under control, she might not have been able to wrestle her Magic in enough to keep from accidentally burning Lucy with how close the blonde had been, and more so...._

_... every inch of her wanted, screamed at her- to kill those North Wind Mages. Every inch of her person screamed at her to burn that asshole who had put his unwanted, filthy hands on Lucy- to burn him alive, turn him to ash. Her Magic festered at it, rose up, threatened to take control and send her mind spiraling into that numb, unaware haze of fury that would have let her do that... she couldn't, she had to not... and damn it, it was so hard. Her skin was on fire to the point it was cold, an that sensation encased her arm, crawled up her neck, stretched over her face and fought to try and spread more even as she willed it to recede._

_Calm down, calm down... control yourself... you... have to....._

_That fire was wild and so utterly cold, and pushing against it made a sharp, jolting flash of pain run through her core where she had been spared that feeling for weeks now, and she outwardly cringed at it. Her hand snapping up to press her fist against her chin, willing herself not to hiss and not to end up-_

* * *

 

_STOP HER!_

Hora hissed, her voice trembling as much as she was as the fear struck her through her center just as strongly as the anger did. Struck hard, but not as hard nor as painful as it was to keep herself standing there, still and _silent-_

* * *

 

_Her body moved out of sheer instinct, her Magic flaring as the Markings took chance to spring forward without her wishing them too._

_But there was no anger then, not true anger, not the burning hot rage and murderous intent she had had to contend with her entire life. The Markings didn't burn like they usually did- they were hot, enough to be icy across her skin, but it wasn't the same force that sent her mind spinning away into a chasm she couldn't pull free from. She didn't intend to harm that man because of how fun it would be, nor how good it would feel. She wasn't attacking him outright, she was-_

_\- Protecting them. No matter what._

_And the anger didn't turn to rage, she was just... resolute. Her Magic was resolute, her Magic was steady and calm and controlled like she had seldom felt it be, in so very, very long a time._

_She was moving, her Magic was rising to the surface without her thinking about it, she'd moved herself in front of all three and she did it without hesitating a single moment. Her hands raised on either side of her, flames flickering as they circled her arms like serpents would, her hair moving as the wind and pressure picked up around her. The Markings stretched down both arms, stopping just shy of her jaw and crossing over her chest and shoulders where they were visible, the black shining warmly in the growing light of the fire._

_Hora let out a low, slow breath- the air engulfed in a hazy cloud before her, all of their eyes reflecting the metallic sheen that bounced from the hundreds of blades and weapons that had seemed to materialize out of the stone walls around them. The Fairy Tailers looked between the blades and Hora in utter shock, eyes widening and jaws dropping at how quickly she had moved and where she placed herself._

_Those golden-red eyes landed on the North Wind Lieutenant steadily, her expression resolute and unflinching, her attention never leaving him and never flicking for even a second toward the hundreds of incoming weapons and blades of all sizes and shapes- and all deadly in their own right._

_Her hands swung forward, the flames dancing from her arms and springing through the air in a wave, whirling and spinning as if they were beasts and creatures in themselves._

_The flames burned an incredible golden-azure color unlike anything any of them had ever seen, striking out across the ground and through the air in mere moments, Hora's voice clear and cold as the words bounced off the stone._

_"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled lowly, too low for anyone to possibly hear normally, a waft of air rushing into the Fairy Tailers behind her, causing them to bring their hands up and cover their eyes, their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it._

_"Guardian Circle!!"_

* * *

 

Lucy screamed, loudly- her voice carrying all around and bouncing as she was bombarded with a million different attacks all at once- at triple the ferocity and violence.

Hora's eyes flashed, the air wavering around her as steam started to rise off her hands.

"You have your heads in the clouds Fairy Tail!! What kind of heart do you think we have?!" Minerva snapped, her Magic blazing in newfound fervor and brutality.

"We are the number one Guild in all of Fiore!! We are SaberTooth!!!"

Lucy was sent spiraling out through the water toward the edge at breakneck speed, headed straight out- before she disappeared- and appeared right in front of Minerva again.

"W-what?! But she was headed out?!"

Minerva's leg swung around and rammed into the center of Lucy's back hard enough to break bone, and the blonde screamed again.

* * *

 

_...... friends....._

_".... even if I'm Saber....?" Hora mumbled, it being the only response she managed. Honestly, hearing them say it so easily... they'd only known eachother a few days, and certainly not long enough..... well...._

_"Of course!" Lucy said quickly,_

_"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not." Natsu smirked, "A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."_

_"That's right. We like you as a friend for who you are, not what Guild you're a part of." Lucy assured easily._

_Hora glanced slowly between the both of them, her hands pressed lightly against the ground between her legs and her shoulders sagging slightly._

_....... Brother....._

_They just kept smiling, so content and so serious about it all._

_....... Brother.... I remember the last time..... It felt like this......_

_She swallowed slightly, her eyes falling slightly._

_..... it..... It happened just as quickly then as it did now..... I knew how_ _**I** _ _felt.... But that word never popped up so fast....._

 _...... I thought..... I mean.... I think of them that way... I guess...... But I thought.... I always thought it took longer... Than that.... To_ _**count** _ _....._

_And what Lucy said? And Natsu too...?_

_...... Brother..... Have I been.... Looking at it wrong the whole time....?_

_She bit the inside of her cheek, doubt swirling inside her stomach and her heart now where she hadn't expected it to._

_...... Have I been thinking about it all wrong....?_

_But..... Even in doubt and worry now.... It felt better. It felt nice._

_She smiled softly, nodding her head a little as she glanced to Natsu and Lucy both- familiar faces from here on out to be sure..... Friendly faces._

_She never thought anyone could feel like friends in so little time, and it be real._

_But this feeling in her chest was assuredly real._

_.... They almost make me wish I'd ended up in Fairy Tail instead._

_But just almost._

_Her friends in Sabertooth were too important to her to wish she'd never been in Saber, they were too important even with how shitty things had gotten and how she'd become a slave to a tyrannical mad-man. Knowing them made it worth it._

_"Yeah, friends." Hora smiled softly, her head tilting as Lucy, Cancer and Natsu alike smiled in return. "... And I will do my best, to listen to what you said, Lucy. Promise."_

_"Good to hear." Lucy smiled, Hora chuckled under her breath slightly._

* * *

 

_STOP MINERVA_

Hora shuddered, her breath shaking in her throat as she swallowed back at the inferno inside- the incessant want, the need... the need that grew stronger with every hit Minerva landed, every whimper and scream, every new wound on Lucy's person.

_.... kill Minerva... burn her..._

* * *

 

_"Are you gonna be OK traveling all that way, Hora?" Lucy asked, earning blinks from everyone else. "Are you feeling ok enough? You still look a little pale... I don't want you to push yourself if you're feeling unwell."_

_"Are you sick or something Hora?" Happy asked, his head tilting slightly as Lucy asked the question._

_"Yeah, you OK?" Natsu mumbled, "... I mean I heard you two talking about it earlier but..."_

_Hora sighed slightly, shaking her head slightly as she smiled, her arm lifting as she wrapped her arm around Lucy's neck, pulling the blonde closer as her other arm wrapped around her shoulder. Lucy blushed, blinking several times in shock as she went rigid, pulled into Hora so easily and so quickly she hadn't any time to react as Hora rest her cheek against the top of Lucy's head, the blonde's face getting pushed slightly into Hora's heart._

_"... Geez... You're freaking adorable..... Hehe..." Hora murmured softly, Lucy blushing a bit harder though Hora didn't see it. ".... You're really such a kind person, and so honest too.... And you're cute when look all worried, Lucy."_

* * *

 

_STOP HER!_

_N...no..... if you..... you have to stay..... still..... b....but...._

"STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!" Natsu roared, his voice breaking through only barely.

Natsu's head snapped around, his eyes searching (almost in vain) to catch a glimpse of where the rest of the SaberTooth Team was standing, his eyes only barely managing to catch a glimpse of them from the near impossible angle Fairy Tail Team A's box was at- and his heart skipped a beat as his jaw dropped.

All of SaberTooth, all of them- the Twin Dragons, Orga, Rufus and the Exceeds- all of them stood rigid and sweatdropping, their faces pulled and pained as they watched what was going on and he could tell in an instant that they _hated_ what they were seeing.

And his eyes found that head of multicolor, fiery orange hair and even he could see the terror and the rage on her face, see the steam rising from her hands, see the way she was utterly shaking.

Minerva was one of the only two in SaberTooth that Hora had warned him about, he remembered that the instant the Announcer said Minerva joined.

Hora and the rest of the Saber Team standing there with her?

_They... they hate this too...._

* * *

 

_"All done packing." Lucy smiled cheerfully as she and Happy approached both Fire Wizards, Hora's and Natsu's hands falling away from one another as they settled their attentions on the two of them._

_"We're ready to head out now." Happy purred, Hora nodded._

_"Then I guess I oughtta say bye." Hora murmured, "It was great working with you three, I had a lot of fun." She smiled genuinely, Lucy and Happy nodded in agreement to the words._

_"We had a lot of fun to, it was so good to meet you." Lucy murmured brightly, "I hope we see more of eachother soon, I can't wait until the GMG!"_

_"Aye!"_

_"Hmm, me too." Hora smiled kindly, the smile breaking off as Lucy suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her neck in a firm, entirely unexpected embrace._

_"You'll be careful out here by yourself, won't you?" Lucy asked softly, her breath washing against the inside of Hora's neck as the Saber girl slowly returned the embrace. Her eyes found Natsu for half a second, his expression unreadable but she could imagine how much he was fighting with himself not to leave. And Lucy hadn't any clue what she would be facing either... and Natsu knew it, Hora knew it._

_"..... yeah... I'll be careful. I promise, we'll meet up again at the GMG, don't you doubt it."_

* * *

 

Hora growled, her voice almost animalistic and her lips curling as her face went so very, very dark. Lector and Frosch bristled, their fur standing on end as they saw her expression twist.

Minerva's hand swung out toward Lucy, her Magic so strong now it was making the air throb- an attack of massive scale headed out toward the blonde that had already ceased moving and making any noise through the torture.

Hora felt something snap, her feet bringing her forward and all will to stay still just shattered in a single second- all she saw, all the heard- was Minerva, and the fire screaming inside of her to,

_Kill_

"MINERVA!!!"

Hora's voice was loud, and hate-filled, the name burning on her tongue and carrying easily through the box and across the Arena- but the only ones who heard that shout were among the likes of Dragon Slayers and God Slayers in the other Guilds. They all glanced up, some of them not recognizing the owner of the voice at all- but some did.

Natsu, Wendy and Sherria- they heard that voice and recognized it in an instant, even though it sounded strangely distorted and muffled to them, and for a moment their horror driven watching of the match faltered as they tried to pinpoint where she was.

_Horatia_

Gold Runes flashed across the open space above the railing of the Saber Box, a Spell placed and set up with deft hands and not a word by Rufus the instant he realized that Hora likely wouldn't keep herself in check any longer. A Spell that kept the volume and sound of her voice from making it passed the confines of the Box, so it would not reach either Minerva nor Jiemma's ears- her voice that was so icy and enraged, and he did not blame her.

SaberTooth's Lady was ruthless, and wicked- and she was handling that Fairy more harshly than was usually seen, and he and everyone else knew why. The sight of it curled their stomachs, made them cold- they did hate it, they wished it stop, but they held back still for fear.... fear that was lacking now in Hora as of late.

And again it came to them, that thought that they had all thought to themselves thousands and thousands of times;

_This needs to stop_

Everyone in the Saber Box jumped, their hearts leaping and panicked slightly as they saw Hora move- her voice ringing all around them and loud enough they winced, in her glittering eyes they saw that fire and sheer fervor erupt in her like it had that night she charged in to stay off Natsu's hand at the Inn. That fire and sudden determination and strength of will that had appeared in her so suddenly, out of nowhere even- and they had seen when she came back from her mission with the Fairy Tailers.

She started to move, ready to jump over the railing and head down into the Arena- and in all that anger and rage and determination, there was something darker too, something colder... malicious.

_Murder_

She never got very far, Sting placed himself between her and the railing as quickly as Rogue moved behind her and threw his arms around her, holding to her tightly and not letting her go even as his skin and clothes singed instantly from the contact with her body.

Her eyes caught glimpses of Minerva holding the limp form of Lucy outside of the water and by a cruel grip in her hair even as her movement was halted and Rogue held tight to her. Saw how bloody and bruised Lucy was and the wicked smirk on Minerva's face even as Rufus and Orga moved themselves in front of her just like Sting had, and blocked her view-

"Get her out of here, _now_." Sting ordered lowly, his eyes locking with Rogue's red ones, and the Shadow Dragon Slayer already ahead of his White Dragon counterpart.

Hora struggled against the pinning hold instantly, her anger bubbling higher in agitation and snapping out no few amount of curses as she felt herself yanked backward, almost sickeningly so- and the entire world got swallowed up in deep, pitch black before her very eyes.

Nothing but shadow, Rogue still holding so tightly on to her even as she snapped at him to let go.

"LUCY!!!!"

Everything was nauseating freefall for a few seconds, the sound of the Arena faded into a low drone and her world flipped on it's head- light bombarding her senses and her gaze after those fleeting moments, and she stepped forward, throwing Rogue's hands off roughly as her feet hit solid ground..... underground, in one of the deepest parts of the underway of the Colosseum. Both she and Rogue far, far away and below the Arena in the matter of a few instants- and all because he's pulled himself and her into the Shadows, and used his Magic to make them melt into the black and flit away.

She rounded on the Shadow Dragon Slayer, her arms encased now in the burning, inky black Markings and the air shuddering under the heat she gave off. Fire sparked from her person as she set her steely blue gaze on him, a stare that was so angry and burning it would have stopped any man's heart, and surely did his for a second or two- but he stayed where he was and stood tall, doing his best not to waver even under so much rage.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?!" Hora snapped, her voice like venom and her fists clenched at her sides.

"Saving you from making a mistake." He replied lowly, Hora bared her teeth at him.

 _"Mistake!?"_ She shot back, fire sparking off her shoulders now as she stomped a foot into the ground hard enough to make the floor crack. "The only mistake I've made is putting up with Minerva's bullshit! And her bastard of a father too!" Hora snapped, her eyes flashing as Rogue grimaced- and her eyes narrowed when she realized where he had placed himself in this small little sideroom, right in front of the door.

That just made the fire burn brighter in her soul, and made her angrier.

"I am _done_ , I'm not standing for their cruelty anymore! This needs to end!" Hora hissed, her eyes like flint as he held her blazing gaze as steady as he could- but honestly?

This much rage and anger in her was terrifying, the way the Markings kept stretching, reaching over her shoulders and crawling up her neck... the sheer light in her eyes, the darkness of her expression?

She looked less like the Hora he knew and more like someone else, someone _evil_

What walls she had kept up all these years to keep her anger at bay were gone now, they'd cracked after what Jiemma had done to her those three months ago, they'd been halved when she was out with the Fairy Tailers. And now they were barely a foot tall, after what had happened with Yukino, and Natsu at the Inn.

Fear or better sense or whatever that had always held her back for so, so many years was all but gone- and the pent-up anger, hurt, and outrage was spilling over so violently he wasn't sure he could contend with her if she got worked up enough. And Hora surely wasn't having any luck stemming the tide.... not that he was sure she was trying to hold herself back anymore.

She must have, right? Otherwise she wouldn't have stayed as quiet as she had through the Naval Battle... and she had to, otherwise knowing her, her Magic would have gotten out of hand enough by now to do more than make the air hot, or even just slightly singe his hands.

All through that match, through watching Minerva do that to the blonde Fairy- he hadn't been watching them, no. His eyes had been locked onto Hora and nothing else, seeing how hard she was shaking, how tight her grip on the railing was, how rigid her entire body had turned. Every second where her emotions were getting all the more out of hand and he kept his eyes locked onto her, waiting for when she finally did snap- he knew she would.

Because he understood how deeply Hora cared for everyone she knew, and everyone she ever dared to call Friend. She cared so much, more than people could ever fathom and she as so very, very loyal... and that loyalty and care for Lucy, for him, Sting, Lector, Frosch... for everyone in SaberTooth, and even for the Fairy Tailers- that that had already been rock solid was now all the stronger since she came back, and that care and loyalty had grown into something much fiercer than her will to keep herself in check, and just take everything she had from Minerva and Jiemma.

Rebel, stop it, fight back- speak up. The need to do that was more now than it ever had been, and as admirable (and even needed) as it was, doing that wasn't a good idea... and he knew that as well as she did, he knew that where no one else did, just why it wasn't something she could risk doing.

"You _can't_ Hora, you know that." He grumbled lowly, her fists clenched harder at her sides. "If you go against Minerva or the Master, you will die! He almost killed you the last time you stood up for Fairy Tail, if you do something now he really will kill you- and probably without a second thought!"

"I'd like to see him fucking try!" She shot back instantly, a ring of fire spiraling up around her feet for a few seconds as he eyed the flames warily, but stayed in his spot regardless. "I'll turn the both of them into a pile of blackened goddamn _bones_ before they even have a chance to try it!" She growled, the Markings stretching up to just under her left eye as her blazing gaze locked with his. "Even if I can't get rid of them before Jiemma tries anything, I'm _not_ backing down! This bullshit has gone for _years!_ Too goddamn long, and I am tired of living with this! What Minerva just did?! I can't let that go!!"

His hands came up to press against either side of the doorway, blocking her way just that little bit more as Hora settled him with a look so very, very icy- he felt shivers run down his spine at it.

"I'm not going to let you passed me, Hora." He told her lowly, "I'm not letting you run off to start a full on war with Minerva or Jiemma. I'm _not_ letting you run off to get yourself killed!" He hissed, his jaw clenching as he shook his head once, and Hora just looked more enraged, her body angling slightly as she drew her hand back, and still he forced himself to stand still- ready to fight back if he had to.

"You might not care if you end up dead, but I do! I don't want to lose you, I will not let you die!"

His eyes instinctively snapped closed as Hora stepped up, her fist swinging forward toward him at breakneck speed and flame licking off her fingers- her teeth bared and eyes glittering as she swung out toward him in all her pent-up rage and anger and pain. He felt the heat in the room raise more than a few dozen degrees, a waft of it ramming into his face and his body and instantly making him sweat- he could hear the crackle of the fire in his ear, so close his hair must have been singing. Any second and-

The room shook, the air bouncing with a loud boom that went off somewhere behind him and the sound of stone cracking and crumbling rumbled all around him. The sound of fire washing out over everything was deafening, like it had turned into some great river, and he felt like a hot rod had been placed a few inches from his left cheek, but... that was it.

_She... didn't hit me...?_

His eyes snapped open, rigid in his spot and eyes wide as his attention found Hora a few inches from him, her fist raised but passed his face- she'd swung out but deliberately avoided hitting him at the last second (missing him by only half an inch or so), so that all the force and fire behind the hit streamed passed him and into the hallway he was still blocking off. A quick look behind him saw that the stone of the hallway wall directly behind him was crumbling into a huge mess, and all around that and about a good fifty feet down the corridor on the left and the right, everything was blackened and burned, ash and destruction still warm to the touch- and all of the sheer force not touching him, at all.

She'd halted, only about five inches between them and her entire body shaking from head to foot- he could hear her breathing trembling too, panting and high-strung as her head tilted down too much for him to see her face. He couldn't move, in the same instant relief slammed into him fear did too, because her other hand had come up to grab about the shirt over her chest as if she was in pain-

"Hora...?" He mumbled,

"Tch..... you... you should know better..... than to get in the way of a.... pissed off Devil Slayer......" Hora hissed, her voice so low and so shaky. Her fist retracted back toward her and away from him as she forced herself a few steps back, shaking her head several times and still clutching to her shirt. Her other hand moved up to press her palm against her forehead, turning away from him slightly and swallowing, hard.

"..... tch.... damn it!" She snapped hotly, her voice raising suddenly as he flinched at it a little. Her hands fell, holding on to eachother and gripping tight to her lower arms, Rogue watching in tense silence as the Markings shifted, and receded a little, moving from her cheek and her neck and stopping at her shoulders.

_I... I was losing it again.....!_

_'..... you were incredibly worked up, I am surprised you refrained from hitting the Dargo Dragair Slajur just now.'_ Lixue commented lowly, his voice suddenly breaking though the haze of anger and hate that had risen up to swallow her so quickly. She stiffened on instinct to the sound of it, her eyes snapping open and on the floor as she sweatdropped.

_Where were you...!?! Lixue?! You're the one that's supposed to help me with..!!_

_'.... you were angry enough you could not hear me.'_ Was the low reply, her stomach flipped a little. _'Even if you wish to hear me, if you get worked up enough to allow that Fire to get so wild, you will not hear me... it will drown me out, keep that in mind.'_

_S...shit...._

"... tch..... I.... I just....." Hora hissed, Rogue swallowed a bit as his shoulders sagged slightly. Hora turned her back on him completely, her arms unhooking as she swung her fist forward into the wall and it caved in under the impact- her shoulders hunched and shaking still, but the burning sensation of the Markings got a little dimmer regardless.

But forcing herself to calm down again, forcing herself not to hit Rogue just then... it was agonizing, it was so goddamn hard.

"..... I worked with her!" Hora snapped, her head tilted down and her fists shaking against the stone she had decimated with little effort. "We worked together, we fought together! We ate together, traveled and looked after one another! She... She was so unbearably kind even when she'd already been told by the rest of her Guild what SaberTooth is like... what we've done to them in the Games before!" Her other hand moved, her palm pressing against the wall as she let her forehead fall against the stone lightly, it was cool against her skin.

".. I.... S.. she's my _friend_ damn it! We are friends and Minerva just nearly... beat her to death! And I forced myself to just sit there and _let_ it happen!" Hora hissed hotly, her voice quavering as Rogue grimaced a little. "I... I've been forcing myself to let Minerva and Jiemma just get away with everything! _Everything!_ Every time they hurt me, or everyone else in the Guild.... I've fucking hated it! And I've still forced myself to do absolutely nothing!!"

His eyes dropped a little, a lump forming in his throat.

"How can I even all myself a friend to any of you even when I've been letting all of this go one for years?! After I've been lying to you and hiding everything for so god damn long?! After I've sat back and watched them do all of those things to _any_ of you?!"

He'd asked the same thing, several times... more and more recently.

"..... I didn't care...... if I died.... I never have..... I just..... I want this to stop.... I want to stop it!" Hora snapped, her voice dropping as his heart lurched a little.

_I.... I.... I don't.... want...._

"..... I don't...... want to just..... watch any of you.... hurt like that... and not do anything.... not anymore...."

_.... but I'm still......_

"...... I don't want..... to..... a..and...... I don't want to..... turn into the monster.... my Magic.... makes me..... e..either........i....if..... I lose.... it........"

Rogue stepped forward a little, eyes wide and glittering as he heard her breathing hitch- and he saw the tears dropping to the floor at her feet.

_She's crying again_

"..... if.... if I.... l...lose it...... I'll be..... just as bad...... as them....... w.....worse....... b...because I've.... a.....already let...... a...all of this..... keep on.... for s...so long....!"

Her knees gave out on her and she sank to sitting on her heels, Rogue jumped and started forward toward her quickly- but drew up just behind her, his hand reaching out uncertainly.

".... I.... I just.... I want.... to protect everyone... I care for.... b....but....... I'm..... not good enough..... I'm not..... that person.... I can't...... be.... that person....... I wan......wanted........ to...... b.....be..... better than....... them..... be better...... than him..... b.....but I'm...... not........."

_I'm just as bad... as all of them..... as Minerva... and Jiemma...... as Arden......_

_.... I've been letting the people I love just suffer for so long, and never doing a damn thing....!_

She'd always been broken beyond repair, she'd always hated herself and hated what she was- hated what she failed to do and blamed herself for so much. She'd never been afraid of dying, because for a very long time death was all she wanted... because dying meant she could be free, on more than one account.

She was broken in so many ways and she had always hidden it, even when she was sad or in a bad place- she smiled and put on a face for everyone else... not unlike the face that the Guild put on for the world. Hers just hid how much pain and turmoil there was inside. How much horror and rage and heartbreak she had kept bottled up- and they still didn't know. Not about who she really was, where she came from. Not about her Parents, or her Brother, or Deliora... not about how she became this person either, with this curse of a Magic.

But since Jiemma had nearly beaten her to death, since she broke down and told them to leave- that face was shattered and they could see it now, how much it all hurt, how unsure she was.

How much pain there was

 _'.... you are much better than Arden.'_ Lixue told her softly, his tone gentle again where it had hardly ever been.

But she didn't want to hear it, she couldn't believe him.

"Don't say that." Rogue's suddenly firm voice made her jump, her eyes snapping open and glancing quickly backward toward him in surprise and question. He wasn't behind her anymore, he'd settled down on to his knees on her side and his hand fell on her back lightly, his red eyes glittering as he shook his head at her.

"You are nothing like them, either of them. You don't hurt people just to cause pain, you are not indifferent to the things that go on- you want nothing more than to help people, and you hurt when you can't." Rogue told her lowly, steadily. "Jiemma is cruel beyond words, he doesn't care what pain he inflicts and he's not afraid to take lives to satisfy his own interests. You're kind and you are gentle, you've showed compassion for everyone in the Guild and outside of it with ease, and you would never take a life as easily as he does. You are nothing like him." He leaned in a little as his eyes flashed, and Hora sucked in a breath and held it.

"Minerva doesn't hesitate to harm other people, she's _amused_ by it. But _you_ aren't like that, you'd never hurt anyone and enjoy doing it. You are kind and loyal and you've only ever done your best to try and protect us, even if that meant holding yourself back. Don't ever say you're someone who hurts and betrays other people, you are _nothing_ like that."

Hora's eyes flashed, glimmering still as tears fell down her cheeks without end and her breathing didn't even out all that much either- not even as he said his piece.

"Hora, the fact that you are so worked up and regretful about forcing yourself to stand by all these years, just proves you are a good person." Rogue murmured, "And as it is, you've had little choice on the matter. You'd be risking your life if you'd fought back against Jiemma... We don't expect you to die for us, we would never want you to. We want you here, as our friend, alive and safe."

 _Alive and safe.... But what does_ **_safe_ ** _mean when the Guild is being run by Minerva and Jiemma?_

She sniffed, her eyes falling from him and into her hands as she held her breath again, and her chest felt like it was on fire.... like her lungs burning from the inside out all over again.

She shut her eyes tight against the sudden stab of pain through her center, cringing against it- and the hurt, the emotional turmoil, the anger....

.... And what small spark of warmth there was in her heart, gentle, _soft_ warmth that came to life with what he said, and even with the contact of his hand on her back. Appreciation seemed the closest word to describe it.

But she couldn't find a way to really listen to him, regardless.... Not all the way

_I know what I've done is wrong, letting all this bullshit go on for years.... I should have tried to stop it a long, long time ago_

Her jaw clenched against the pain, eyes shutting tighter as she let out a hot breath that was more shaky than she or Rogue liked.

"... Hora...?!" Rogue murmured quickly, immediately aware of the show of pain.

"....tch...... Graaaahhhh!!" She snapped hotly, her voice a growl and non-coherent words- just aggravated noise as she brought her hands up and smacked her palms against her cheeks a little roughly, Rogue jumped.

"I fucking _hate_ crying!" She hissed, shaking her head with her face still in her hands and looking less panicked now and just more annoyed. She rubbed at her eyes, grumbling and cursing several choice things under her breath as she did her best to wipe away the moisture- whilst also gaining hold of herself again.

_I got worked up... Way too fucking fast!_

_And I still feel like I wanna kill.. Minerva....!!_

_FUCKING DAMN IT ALL_

She rounded on Rogue, her hands in her lap and scowling as he recoiled slightly- his hands raising in front of him in surrender almost as he sweatdropped.

"H-Hora..." he started, but her glittering blue gaze found his hands and not his face- and she stiffened, her face filled faintly with pain and guilt.

"... I burned you..." She mumbled, her voice tense as Rogue faltered for a second. He sweatdropped, his stomach knotting slightly as he moved to lower his hands and take them from her direct view- only to halt when her hands moved up and hooked around his wrists with the utmost amount of gentleness and care.

_I did it again, just like when Yukino grabbed me.... d...damn it..._

Her shoulders hunched a little, her eyes flashing as she bit back at what stinging sensation and sharp, agony reared it's head in her heart.

_... d... damn me.... I keep hurting them... and I can't even.... do anything about it... not with that god damned..._

She let out a low breath, every fiber of her being hoping, wishing... yearning.... that it came out somehow different from the trembling, shaky, hot breath it was.

Not what she wanted... never what she wanted.

"... it's not that bad, I'm okay." Rogue assured quietly, she hated how gentle he made his voice in that instant.... hated that he didn't sound miffed or angry about it, because she was.

She _hated_ herself for it

"Hora." Rogue murmured, his voice a bit firmer now as her eyes slowly matched with his, a grimace pulling at her lips and her expression so guilty. "Really, you didn't hurt me badly. It's little more than a sunburn, I'm fine, I promise." He assured gently, a moment passing before he gave her a soft smile. "Besides, I can't complain- you could have punched me in the face five minutes ago, but you refrained. Thanks for that, by the way- I probably should know better by now than to get in the way of a 'pissed off Devil Slayer'....."

It was his attempt at lightening the mood a little, but it honestly didn't help that much, but she forced a small smile anyway.

"... I'm sorry....." She mumbled softly, he shook his head a little.

"It's alright." He assured quietly, one of his (singed) hands falling gently on her head.

_No, its really not_

His soft smile faded a bit, tenseness creeping into his expression as Hora felt her heart clench.

"..... We should probably get back, in case Minerva thinks something is..." He started, but trailed off when Hora stiffened, her eyes glinting darkly at the name as her lips curled slightly.

She knew he had a point, but her tolerance for doing what was 'acceptable' according to Minerva and Jiemma's standards was incredibly low now.

There was nothing she wanted to do less than go back up to that box and sit in it with _Minerva_.

But damned if she had any real choice

".... Tch.... Fine." Hora growled, her eyes flashing as her hands clenched into fists in her lap. Her eyes dropped from him and closed as her shoulders hunched a little, "... Just.... Give me a minute." She grumbled, Rogue nodded slightly.

Hora forced herself a breath, her hand moving up and Magic flaring as she pushed her hand into the Magic Circle that appeared beside her in air. She reached in, her fingers curling around a pen and a few pieces of paper courtesy of Requip- a bit of taking note from Ira, actually. To store up some writing and drawing material in her Requip- which she likely should have started doing a long time ago....

She hated the way her hand was shaking when she pulled it out, she swallowed back at it as she leaned over and started marking across the top paper quickly. Rogue sat across from her, his eyes glittering as he watched her work away, almost fixed.

In little time at all there came into being the form of a small, round little bird. Small enough it could fit in the palm of her hand when given life, with a small trail of feathers for its tail.

She brushed that piece of paper aside and drew the pen over the next paper, the tip barely a smidge above the surface and her hand... Hesitated, trembling, tense.

She gulped a little, her eyes flashing as she felt them sting a little- and her heart felt like her heart cracked a little more.

Rogue grimaced, watching her hand hesitate, feeling almost for himself how much pain and guilt and regret there swirled inside of her in the next few instances. That woman he knew to be fearless and strong-willed was quite, scared, and so, so broken... And for the first time in near a decade, just lately- he was able to see it.

_Hora..._

She shut her eyes tight against the sting of tears threatening to make another appearance even though she tried so hard to just... _No_

Her breathing hitched a little and she held it, cursing herself and Minerva and Jiemma all silently in her head as she scribbled down a few words, and hated more how shaky the letters came out.... She just couldn't keep her hand steady.

She folded the paper up and tossed the one with the bird into the air, lighting it on fire in one fluid motion and giving life to the illustration. Embers and bits of flame fell from it wings and feathers like a soft rain, it chirped once as she lift the folded paper in hand- and it took it from her with little a sound.

Hora didn't say anything, the bird simply turned in air and fluttered off quickly- leaving herself and Rogue in a silent, tense room all alone as their ears trained to the sound of the wingbeats getting farther away.

Rogue broke the stillness, offering a hand to Hora to pull her up off the floor, their hands never separating as their eyes matched.

The sound of the Firebird's wings faded into nothing as both Saber Wizards stayed still in that room a few seconds more- the Announcer's voice reaching them from far, far above.

"-we have an Announcement! Pending Raven Tail's disqualification, the GMG's Guild Battles have earned an odd number of participating teams! To combat this, the Games Administration have decided that Fairy Tail Team A and B will combine to create one single team! Team Fairy Tail will keep Team A's 35 Points!"

Hora hardly heard the announcement, and she didn't bother to even pay any attention to what announcement came next- she never heard the crowds get louder, seeing for themselves who made up Team Fairy Tail and the Announcer not bothering to call out the names of people everyone has already been watching for days.... her ears were trained on to the sound of the firebird even if it got so, so far.... Even when her world got swallowed up in pitch black and it felt like the ground sank under her feet.

She strained with everything she had to hear the wings and the flicker of fire and ember from that small, paper bird she had given life even as Rogue pulled her and himself back into the shadows and back up toward the Saber Box before Minerva realized they had ever left.

She stood still in that box, stiff as a board and expressionless, silent- ignoring the looks she earned from Rufus, Sting, Orga and the Exceeds.... Her hands clenching at her sides as she felt that dark gaze of Minerva shift over toward her, piercing and steady and searching- waiting and looking for some reaction to what she'd done with Lucy, but Hora never let their eyes match. If they did she wasn't sure she could hold herself back, or quench what burning inferno of rage was still swirling inside.

She kept listening, searching for sound of that bird as she only held herself back and together and quiet by a hair's width. Her heart a million pieces and guilt tearing at her so incessantly, anger biting at her heels and hatred settled so deep in her stomach it was sickening.

It was like the world faded into nothing, and she couldn't find the sound of its wings again.... It was just silent. She heard nothing, and saw nothing even as her eyes locked on to the Arena. The people on the Arena floor were moving, fighting- Blue Pegasus and Quatro Puppy going head to head just didn't register for her.... It just... Couldn't, right then.

_What Minerva did... It.... I can't anymore_

_'I understand, Horatia..... Truly.'_ Lixue broke in softly, his voice in her head near the only sound she heard... It was like everything went quiet, and fell deaf on her ears. What little she could hear from him was just... Her own pounding heart.

 _.... Do you....? I just.... I can't live like this anymore, Lixue..... I was willing to let myself get killed, if only to..._ **_Do_ ** _something_

_Anything_

He didn't reply, so she just stood there, watching without seeing, listening without hearing.... Stuck in her spot and hardly breathing, practically feeling the weight of that chain that had been clapped around her neck and her soul for over ten years now.

Stuck smack dab in the middle of her own life that felt like it was starting to spiral out of control... Slowly but surely dragging her down into some level of chaos she didn't want to get swallowed up by. Madness and terrible, terrible dread- that even after what happened with Lucy... That bad feeling, and foreboding still had not gone away. She was still....

... Trapped and useless, powerless.... _Slave_

That bird she had given life flitted away through the labyrinth of hallways and underways in the Colosseum, drawing farther from the destruction let loose by Hora in her anger and hurt, the folded piece of paper in its beak and knowing exactly where it was it was going.

It fluttered through corridor after corridor, leaving a glittering orange and red rain of embers and bits of flame behind it.... Drawing closer and closer toward a slightly ajar door and a room that was quiet, but not empty.

Wendy's head tilted toward the door, her nose twitching and alert as she heard sound of wings- and smelled fire and smoke and ash.... And something sweeter, and cooler mixed in. Something that smelled as familiar as Natsu, but not quite.

The Young Dragon Slayer shifted slightly in her seat beside the bed, eyes glittering as her attention found the small, soft red and orange glow from some strange creature that darted into the room with little a noise. Carla and Porlyusica perked up, their eyes snapping toward it too and sweatdropping slightly- a few split seconds of tenseness passing over the room as the three girls quickly tried to decide if it was a threat or not.

The beaten, bandaged blonde that had been dozing in the bed in front of Wendy stirred, her hands still holding to the bundle of Keys that had been returned her. Her glazed eyes shone slightly as she caught sight of that paper bird bleeding flame and ember, her eyes widening wearily as she spotted the folded piece of paper in the Firebird's beak.

The small creature fluttered forward toward the bed with ease, Wendy standing up from her chair and slightly tense as she moved into something of a suddenly defensive posture. Carla echoed her Partner and Porlyusica grimaced as she took a small step forward from her place on the opposite end of the room,

"Wait." Lucy murmured quickly, her voice soft as Wendy and Carla blinked in surprise. Wendy sweatdropped, shifting sideways a bit as the bird passed her by and a rain of fire and flame fell over her head- warm but not burning.... almost like soft snow.

Wendy's eyes flashed, widening slightly as her nose twitched a few more times, and her heart jumped a little.

 _That smell...._ it had to belong to her, that same woman who's voice Wendy swore she heard when-

".... i... is that Horatia's Magic...?" Wendy murmured breathlessly, almost awed- Carla and Porlyusica stiffened in surprise at the question from the bluenette.

The creature hovered to a halt beside Lucy, the Celestial Mage's hand moving up to take the letter from it weakly. The Firebird chirped softly, hovering instead over the nightstand by the bed for a few seconds as Lucy's hands fumbled slightly, slowly unfolding the paper in air above her as her eyes trailed along words written by a hand that had clearly been shaking as much as her own.

Lucy's swallowed, her eyes flashing as sadness pulled across her face and small specks of moisture pecked at the edges of her eyes. Wendy and Carla blinked, sweatdropping a little as they saw the way Lucy seemed to tense, and Porlyusica's eyes narrowed to slits.

"... oh... Hora..." Lucy breathed,

 _'I am so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen, I tried to warn you guys, but... I just...... I_ **_hated_ ** _watching her.......'_

The words that came next got scratched out, and further down the small note simply ended with;

_'I'm so sorry.'_

The Firebird chirped one last time, before the fire licking at it's body finally started to eat it- and in a flash if brilliant red-orange, it was gone entirely.

Lucy let the letter fall on to her chest with her Keys, her eyes dropping closed as she let out a small sigh.

_.... It's not your fault...._

* * *

 

Hora hardly registered Lamia Scale Vs. Mermaid Heel, what little of it that managed through what deafening haze she seemed to have fallen into was the realization that Lyon was fighting..... But even then she didn't really catch any of the battle itself.

_I just... I can't_

After half an hour, there was only a tie between Lamia and Mermaid, and the competitors left the Arena with little a word... and Hora let her eyes drop closed.

That foreboding, unending dread sharpened into a fine point... some deep shadow lurking at the edge of her mind and her soul. A precursor that stalked her, a symbol of things in her life continuing in down toward some chasm of total insanity.

_What else could possibly-_

"Next up! A true battle of the Ages! Folks, today you'll have the pleasure of watching four Dragon Slayers duke it out! Our final battle for the day will be Fairy Tail's Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox against SaberTooth's Sting Eucliffe, and Rogue Cheney!"

The world and all sound suddenly cascaded down on her ears for the first time in what felt like forever- and her heart dropped with it.

Her eyes snapped open, her body going rigid and forgetting entirely how to breath. She felt her reaction mirrored in most everyone around her, surprise and shock and worry- and small, almost undetectable hints of excitement too... but only just.

Hora swallowed slightly, her eyes narrowed to slits and sweatdropping as terror and panic hit her faster than a Mage with Speed Magic.... and she hated it.

Sting and Rogue shifted, Sting smirking slightly and Rogue with a poker-face, cool and collected at the announcement- but Hora could see the worry, hidden deep down maybe.... but there.

And why not?

Gajeel and Natsu were the two people that Sting and Rogue looked up to when they were growing up. Those two were idols to the Sabers, always had been- and there was this need and drive to test themselves against their predecessors and prove themselves. A fight against them was just what they wanted, and had dreamed to do for so long- but even that got weighed down now.

Because Fairy Tail was much stronger than anyone anticipated, yesterday's events had proven that. Natsu had always been an incredible Mage, and Gajeel too- they were not to be taken lightly, and fighting them wasn't going to be easy.

There was a chance that Sabers would bend to Fairies... and right now, allowing that to happen?

That was as good as a death sentence in Jiemma and Minerva's eyes.

And they knew that.. they all knew that.

_-Shit...._

Lector and Frosch bristled slightly, worry breaking through their expressions for a fleeting few seconds before they pushed all that aside and smiled.

"Yeah, you go get um Sting-kun!" Lector cheered, his defense of his Partner flaring in no time at all. "Show that Salamander who's Boss!" Sting smirked at that,

"Rogue will do his best too!" Frosch purred brightly, earning a soft smile and a nod from the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"Indeed, show them the true might of SaberTooth's Twin Dragons." Rufus murmured coolly,

"Kick their asses." Orga smirked,

"I'm sure you won't disappoint." Minerva smiled, but it was nothing but ice and barely shadowed threat, the Dragon Slayers nodded a bit.

"Of course not, My Lady." They murmured in unison,

Hora felt their eyes turn on her, though hers had never left the Arena floor even as sound and reality crashed back down. She knew they were looking for her to say something, be the person they were used to- and quite frankly, needed.

That optimistic, supportive Hora who always smiled at them and showed how much she believed in them, and their Power..... the one who'd never doubt them, and who would at the very least- make sure they knew it was okay to muck up sometimes.

Not this time, they couldn't muck up.... that was a risk that even the favorites of SaberTooth could not afford, not now.

_But damn it-_

She bit back the panic and the worry and the doubt, forcing it down to some section of herself that they wouldn't be able to see. She pushed away all of that, even though she knew she couldn't look at them and be exactly what they wanted.

Her eyes locked on to both Sting and Rogue, deep blue gaze glittering and hard as her entire countenance seemed to straighten. They blinked, a little taken aback by how suddenly firm and resolute she seemed out of nowhere- and she _didn't_ smile, she just looked at them with an expression that was so steady and calm.

"Give it your all, both of you." Hora said steadily, they sweatdropped at it.

_Even if.... If you lose...._

She nodded at them, her chest felt so heavy and her heart too- but she stayed steady anyway. She had to, for them, for Lector and Frosch, and Rufus and Orga. If _anyone_ in that box needed to look so steady and sure in that instant, it had to be her.... Even when it was the hardest for her to do.

"Everything you have, your strength and your skill- all of it." She went on,

_Your heart and your convictions, and your feelings too...._

"Give it all you have, it'll be enough." She told them firmly, her eyes flashing as they blinked a little in faint awe- because how... how did she look so sure of that?

_No matter what happens.... you are enough._

How did it make the worry in their hearts melt...?

Sting and Rogue nodded firmly, their expressions hardening in tandem with her own sudden steadiness.

"Right."

 _'... you really wish to believe that.'_ Lixue mumbled softly, sadly almost as she watched those two Dragon Slayers head away to enter the Arena. Hora glanced back toward the Arena floor, Frosch and Lector setting themselves in front of her on the railing and their tails brushing against her arms.

_No, I don't wish anything.... I **do** believe that. They are enough._

_'.... then you simply wish that things will work out.'_ Lixue breathed, she swallowed.

_I hope they.... I need them too... but...._

_'.... yes, this dread.... I feel it too.'_ Lixue murmured gravely, _'..... something dark is still lurking.... like some incoming catastrophe.'_

Cheery thought.... but she had a feeling he was right.

Hora sweatdropped, her eyes falling on the figures of Natsu and Gajeel as they walked out into the Arena amidst a roar of approval from all around. She stiffened, Natsu's head tilting slightly as she saw his eyes cast sideways- and his onyx gaze locked with her dark blue one, both of them, tense, and quiet- his though, it was _searching._

She dropped her gaze from him, biting the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood as guilt slammed into her, regret too.

_S...shit.... I......_

She took in a silent breath, her eyes flashing as she crossed her arms over her chest- her attention trailed up toward the sky.

_..... Brother..... Mom... Dad..... if you're up there.... somewhere..... listening... and seeing... this....._

Her heart lurched hard enough she cringed inwardly at the onslaught of despair and hurt that was as raw as... that day.

_...... if you somehow.... know..... and are even bothering to.... keep an eye on me anymore.... please._

She hated herself, doing this.... she'd..... she'd done it more than she cared to admit.... and for things she hated herself for ever thinking, feeling.... considering.

 _'Still praying to lost souls, Horatia....? To those long since claimed and dead.... gone from this plane........'_ Lixue hummed, _'.... hmm..... many would say it's useless.... but....... perhaps in some way.... even the dead can still watch.... and hear...... and touch... in some way.....'_

She wasn't sure if she believed that were true, but she wanted to. At least... she'd never stopped doing it, as 'useless' as it probably was.

_..... if Lixue is right.... and somehow you know...... please..... please do what you can, anything you can.... we need help.... we need..... I need....._

Her grip on her arms tightened a little as a bird flew across the sky above them, and the Arena got louder as Sting and Rogue walked out.

_.... I need some way.... to just...... make it through all of this..... with everyone in one piece.... alive.... safe..... please..... I'm just......_

Her eyes fell closed as her jaw clenched.

_.... I don't know what to do anymore..... I'm....._

She could feel Minerva's stare on the floor without seeing, she could feel the heaviness and the pressure from somewhere up above and in the stands from where Master Jiemma was watching. She could _feel_ the malice and the piercing, throbbing power from those two so hellbent on victory- no matter the cost, and it never.... it had never chilled her more than it did just then.

_.... scared...._

"LET THE MATCH BEGIN!"

The gong rang around the Arena, Hora's eyes opened to watch as both Sting and Rogue tensed as they started to get ready and move forward- Hora sweatdropped even more when she realized that both Gajeel and Natsu were already moving.... fast as hell, and with not a split second to spare as the gong got hit.

She needn't see Rogue and Sting's faces to know they were caught off guard by the speed, and she flinched slightly when both boys were suddenly blown backward by a heavy hit from Natsu and Gajeel both.

She felt everyone in the Box around her, even Minerva- all of them stiffened as their eyes went wide in shock.

Rogue and Sting slid back across the Arena floor, but they hadn't anytime to even steady themselves before they were rushed down upon- _again._

"...h...huh...?" Lector stammered softly, Hora's eyes narrowed to slits as her jaw clenched harder.

_Natsu's gotten faster..._

"White Dragon Roar!"

"Shadow Dragon Wing Slash!"

\- Neither of which made hardly a dent against the Fairy Tailers, and Hora felt her stomach knot further.

Rogue got thrown by Gajeel with a hit that was hard enough she heard it, she grimaced as Natsu's hand snapped on to Rogue's arm with a steely grip as the darker haired man was in air, fire licking at the pinkette's body as he swung Rogue around like a doll- and slammed him into Sting in a sudden explosive wash of brilliant red and orange.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Slash!"

"W-What?!"

"What is happening?! SaberTooth's Twin Dragon Slayers are being pressured!"

Sting and Rogue huffed, pulling themselves to their feet and eyes glittering as they faced those they had idolized for so long- Rogue with a fire in his heart just as Sting, but the White Dragon Slayer was the only one of the two smiling. As what was dictated by those faces they always put up.

"Heh... you're just as strong as I imagined." Sting chuckled quietly, his voice was almost lost to her under all the cheering and roaring of the crowd. The blonde smirked a bit more, his expression softening just faintly and only enough that Natsu saw it- and paused. "Heh, you'd have to be- to have her vouch for you, Salamander."

Natsu blinked, sweatdropping slightly as Gajeel's eyes narrowed at the way Rogue's pokerface melted so faintly into something... sad, and somber then. A small crack and change in their outward personalities to all the world so suddenly, and only because they could not be seen clearly nor heard by the crowds or anyone else- what with all the noise and the clouds of dust swirling all around them from the conflict and fire Natsu let loose.

It was only for a few fleeting seconds, that arrogant and crude shell of the Sting Eucliffe was gone and his real side shown through, a sort of softness falling in him when he said that- _her_.

The one word and the one person, the same thing that had Rogue's pokerface melting for those few seconds too- and both Gajeel and Natsu saw it, and were surprised by it- but only slightly in the latter. Natsu had seen it already, the tears and cracks in the SaberTooth Guild and what people they were for the outside world- the worst, most harsh and merciless version of them... that just wasn't them.

He was seeing it more and more now, more easily... he'd seen it that first time, when she stepped in to stop a fight between them. He'd seen it again when he stormed their Inn and when he questioned what their Master had one- and once more he saw it... saw them, when the Naval Battle went on.

Pain and fear and regret.... People who weren't what they tried so hard to make the world see them as.

But this time someone else saw it too, and Gajeel found himself searching those two Dragon Slayers- before his red eyes snapped toward Natsu and what unsurprised expression the pinkette had. The way Natsu seemed to just know what it was Sting meant when the blonde said that;

_Her_

And then in the next few seconds as the dust cleared all the way, Sting's expression hardened and twisted into arrogance again- and Rogue's pokerfaced and dead eyes resumed.

But why do they change, and hide?

"Let's go, we'll show you the power that kills Dragons." Sting growled, bravado flaring as Natsu frowned slightly.

_Master is watching, and so is Minerva_

"White Drive."

"Shadow Drive."

"They're in a win pattern now!" Lector purred,

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch echoed, Hora blinked.

_Dread still_

For the next five minutes, Sting and Rogue had the upper hand- they dove around the Arena floor at renewed, breakneck speed and strength. Power surging and throbbing in their bodies and at their fingertips, both of them alive in sudden life and vigor- and it was Natsu and Gajeel's turn to be driven back.

And then it turned again, and Sting and Rogue got their blows returned in full- not enough to break them, but enough to hurt... and Hora hurt with them.

Sting stepped sideways, catching himself and staying upright as Natsu's fist slammed into his jaw- it hurt like hell, yes... but he was having the time of his life. And in his own way, Rogue was enjoying the spar too... and would be enjoying it all the more if-

"Heh, you guys are amazing, no doubt." Sting chuckled, his feet sliding across the ground as he pulled himself into stance- and white light began to swirl around him. "Looks like I'm gonna have to step it up a notch! I've always wanted to surpass you, and today's the day!"

Hora's eyes glittered, Rogue's body streaming in black and red eyes glittering as he pushed himself forward harder just as Sting was.

_Give it our all_

"White Dragon Secret Art;" Sting hissed, his feet pushing against the ground in insane speed as he ran straight at Natsu- who simply watched.

"Holy Nova!!"

The arena shook, a massive beam of light swinging in tandem with Sting's fist as the floor disappeared in a sudden explosive dome of pure, blinding white.

_It was good, he was good... they were both good-_

Rogue swung out as he drew up to Gajeel, he was throbbing with power and streaming in pure, jet black that matched those devilish Markings that plagued her skin.

_-both of them, so, so strong...._

The white faded and the crowds went stiff, Orga's jaw dropped in the same instant that Lector's did- and Rufus' placid, cool expression shattered in shock and awe.

Hora's heart felt like it got torn in two

Natsu held fast to Sting's fist, standing tall and firm in his spot even despite the devastation- he looked like he hadn't been touched, and Sting's demeanor broke too, in complete and utter shock.

"He blocked it that easily?!" Lector bristled,

"You gotta be kidding me, right?" Orga hissed,

".... this wasn't recorded in my memories.." Rufus mumbled,

Gajeel's fist swung forward and caught Rogue in the chin, knocking the Shadow Dragon Slayer across the yard with so much force it was painful to see.

"R-Rogue...?" Frosch stammered, Hora's eyes dropped closed as Natsu threw Sting away too.

"U-Unbelievable!! The Levels are just... far too different!!" The Announcer trilled, "T-These developments! Who could have expected this!?! SaberTooth's Twin Dragons can't even lift a finger before Fairy Tail!! Will the Match end like this?!?"

_No.... because I know that wasn't near all they have_

"Tch..... as if it would end here...." Rogue grumbled,

"Yeah... we knew this wasn't gonna be somethin' to win easy." Sting grumbled, his hand drawing across his chin as he wiped away the blood.

_We have to give it our all... we have to be enough_

"We can't lose." Rogue and Sting muttered lowly, their gazes hardening as the air _shifted._

Sting shone like a beacon of pure white, sterling pearl markings stretching across his skin as Rogue was swallowed in pitch black, inky markings of a jet colored hue stretching over his skin- both of them like the center of some massive, heavy, reverberating storm of pure, unrelenting force.

"Hmm, quake before the true power of the Third Generation." Minerva murmured coldly, her lips a sickly sweet smile.

 _'.... Dragon Force at will...'_ Lixue muttered,

"Stay back Rogue," Sting murmured as he stepped forward ahead of the darker haired man. Rogue stiffened, his eyes flashing as he shot the White Dragon Slayer a warning look- and the blonde cast a glance over his shoulder, giving Rogue a slightly exasperated smile that only the Shadow Dragon Slayer saw.

After all of that, they had to do something to make this battle seem less even-sided.... they both knew that.

 _So- put on that face again, for all the world to see...._ _... for Master and Minerva to see..._

"I will be enough to take them down." Sting smirked, his attention catching Natsu and Gajeel's again- both Fairy Tailers gave him a stare that was searching, and Sting ignored it.

Without warning Sting had launched forward, his speed and power not only doubled now in Dragon Force- but damned near ten times as Powerful, a sudden leap in level that not even Gajeel and Natsu were ready for. Sting dodged around the both of them, a white blur and hitting both of them with Magic and fists so strong they were soon ragged and bleeding- the White Dragon too fast for either to block or dodge, or even really think about doing so.

Dominating in the matter of a few seconds... true power in him, hidden for most of the world- but not now.

_Not today, not with things like this_

To Natsu's credit, he did manage to swing a flaming fist at Sting, but only received a kick in the gut that knocked the air out of him. Before Natsu could be thrown away, Sting grabbed onto the back of his shirt and flung him at Gajeel, causing the two to crash into each other in near the same manner that Natsu had earlier thrown Rogue into Sting.

Sting jumped, pushing himself off the ground and high into the air as the Fairy Tailers wheezed- and he sucked in a sharp breath of air, in a gesture all too familiar.

"White Dragon's;" Sting hissed and his head snapped down to face the Arena.

"ROAR!"

The entire arena was engulfed in the light of his Roar, and the arena shook as the floor of it caved in from the sheer force and scope of the attack under the effects of Dragon Force. Natsu and Gajeel were sent down, and Sting rushed after them.

"The match is still continuing! Please enjoy it via Lacrima vision!" The Announcer broke in as the screens appeared to aid in viewing the three Dragons that could no longer be seen from the stands.

"Its not over yet!" Natsu snapped, twisting in air as he crouched down on one of the falling pieces of earth.

"Fire Dragon's..." The earth Natsu was standing on was shattered as he pushed off of it with amazing force and hit Sting in the stomach with his head, looking like a flaming rocket. "Sword Horn!"

Gajeel appeared above Sting in an instant, "Iron Dragon Roar!" Sting was hit by the spinning tornado of Iron Magic, sent streaming toward the bottom of the hole in the Arena floor. But he landed on his feet, not at all fazed by the retaliation and all the more thrilled with it- smirking as his hands lift in a gesture few knew, like Hora did.

_He's never fought so hard.... and it's for you, Natsu.... and for us too._

"The Brilliance of the White Dragon Purifies all things." Sting growled, Lector was beaming as he watched his Partner work.

"Holy Ray!"

Hundreds of streams of light lunged at Natsu and Gajeel, hitting the two dead-on, here, there and everywhere all over their bodies as their cries of pain got lost to the sound of the ensuing destruction.

Natsu struggled to stay on his feet, bloody and bruised as Gajeel hit the floor with a thud- his eyes went wide as Sting appeared in front of him in seconds, the blonde's fist swinging forward. The contact sent off a sonic wave of pure force, and the Fire Dragon Slayer was sent flying into a bit of wall and cavern and earth that was decimated by the simple force of his body smashing into it.

_Not even Natsu could block that....._

Things came to a sudden standstill as Fairy Tail Mages lay on the ground, unmoving. There was not a soul in the whole of that Arena who was still, or quiet- they were all amazed, aghast and stunned- not a single person in the whole of Crocus was not watching that fight... that _power._

"..... Times Change." Rogue murmured as he stood above Sting, looking down at the two defeated Fairy Tail Mages from a perch above the caved-in Arena floor. Sting's head twitched slightly at the sound of Rogue's voice, and the Shadow Dragon Slayer's pokerface broke a little as he seemed to deflate.... almost remorseful, in a way.

Those two Fairies were what they aspired to be... and to beat, but seeing it.... it was different.

".... In seven years we became real Dragon Slayers..... and now it looks like the old generation's Era is over." Rogue mumbled softly, Sting's ears catching the soft words with ease as he sighed- and his Magic faded into nothing of his own volition.

"Yeah." Sting replied, his hands falling on his hips and smile gone now. He looked somber too, like Rogue- though no one could see it. "But you were strong... Natsu...Gajeel." Sting murmured with a small smile, his eyes glittering.

_You were what we wanted to be_

"Hell yeah~!" Lector smirked,

"That was great!" Frosch purred,

Hora's eyes flashed, her shoulders sagging slightly as she felt a huge fraction of her worry and panic just disappear... even if there was a newfound sense of remorse in her too.

_Sorry Flame-Brain..... I do want Fairy Tail to do well... but....._

"IS THE MATCH OVER!?" The announcer shouted, "T-THIS IS-?!?!"

"Wait a minute!"

Hora's heart skipped a beat, her eyes going wide and forgetting to breath as- all at once- both Gajeel and Natsu jumped to their feet, standing tall and firm almost as if it was like Sting had never hit them.

Sting and Rogue were just as stricken by it as she was... everyone was.

_... you.... are kidding....? After all of that... having Sting throw his all into Dragon Force....?_

Natsu and Gajeel grumbled, looking miffed and rolling their shoulders- both letting out huffs.

"Oww.." Natsu mumbled as he tilted his head and his neck cracked.

"He's better than I thought." Gajeel muttered.

"Yeah..." Natsu mumbled but smiled slightly at the frozen and speechless Sting who stood before the two, eyes wide in shock, Rogue was the same way, and Hora, Lector, Frosch- _everyone._

"But, I found out all of your habits." Natsu smirked.

She felt that huge fraction of her worry and panic that had melted suddenly get reborn anew and fall a thousand times heavier over her soul, she couldn't breath, she was suffocating...... shocked..... terrified....

_..... s...shit....._

"What?!" Sting stammered, sweating up a storm now.

"Yeah, the timing of your attacks, your pose when you're defending yourself, even the rhythm of your breathing." Natsu told him lightly, waving a hand at him slightly- Sting scowled.

"N-no way....! There's no way in hell you could tell that when I'm using Dragon Force....!" Sting retorted as he swung a hand out at the pinkette almost dismissively. Natsu just smiled a bit more,

"Oh yeah, that's some great power ya got there man.... I'm hurting all over." Natsu chuckled at him. "But either way, I still figured ya out. Like when you attack, you turn on your pivot leg to 11 o' clock."

"No, its 10 o' clock." Gajeel cut in.

"Its 11." Natsu said back instantly, and earned a glare from Gajeel.

"10!"

"11!"

"Tch, whatever! Then lets say its 10:30, its not 11!" Gajeel snapped.

"Its 11! Or 23!" Natsu hissed back.

"That's a whole other turn!"

Hora sweatdropped, her jaw dropping slightly as she blinked at the sudden argument and how.... how _like_ him, it was. It was exactly like him, even as Natsu and Gajeel started shoving eachother back and forth and the Fairy/Tiger Battle got completely sidetracked.

"Shut up!" Natsu yelled as he shoved Gajeel back, causing the Iron Dragon Slayer to back into a cart(?!) and fall into it, as his arm hit the break-switch and he took off down a set of tracks leading away from where they were and further into.... wait, that cave-in looks like a _literal_ cave-in!

_Is there a fucking cave under the Colosseum....?!_

"Hey! You little... ugh..." Gajeel yelled but trailed off as he let out a groan, his image on the screens got lost as the cart went faster and he disappeared down a tunnel and out of sight. Natsu smiled widely, turning back toward Sting who looked lost.

"Hihi..." Natsu snickered and Sting and Rogue just stared.

".... What ... what the hell are you doing?" Sting muttered breathlessly, Natsu smirked.

"Well- since you underestimated me, I have to reply." Natsu replied with ease, his grin fading into a firm, serious little smile and raising a hand as his flames flickered off his fingers to spell out the words _'come on'_.

 _"I'll_ be enough." Natsu murmured lowly- mimicking exactly what Sting had said earlier in his little show of face and 'bravado', and the blonde visibly blanched at it- Natsu only kept on with that smile. "Come on! Both of you!"

Sting and Rogue stiffened at the words, their worlds shuddering to a confused, wild half-halt as the battle turned in a way they never expected- ever, and no one else looked like they believed it any more than they did.

Hora didn't... but maybe.... she had to.....

_That... dread..._

"Are you fired up now?" Natsu asked, Hora's heart fell into her feet, and her conviction shattered into a million pieces- never to be picked up again, not that day.

And she _hated_ herself for it- because in the next instant, somehow... she didn't know how-

She just... she _knew.._. she could hear it, in his voice- see it, written all over him, in his posture and his face and his eyes.. and in that damn fire too.

For all her wanting and wishing and hoping she could be that person- that optimistic person with all the faith in the world for them.... and she did, she really did. There were no two people in all the world she believed in more than she did those two Dragon Slayers down there, she'd stake her life on them and their Power- a hundred times over. In her heart she _knew_ they were strong as hell- hell, she _believed fullheartedly_ they were stronger than she could ever be.

She could go head to head with a damned Demon of Zeref and come out alive- and yet never in a million years would she ever even think of herself for a single second, as being stronger than either Sting or Rogue. Never. And _never_ when they were together, fighting side by side- two sides and forces of nature so opposite nature, and yet never so perfect nor more powerful when combined.

_White and Black... Shadow and Light_

Rogue and Sting were incredible, powerful, loyal and so god damn strong- they could do anything, she believed that. She really, really did- and she _always_ would. They could mess up and act like children, but they had so much potential and they had so much room to grow to heights she could never even fathom- and they would in time, she knew they would.... but right now?

She knew, and it _broke_ her

_They're going to lose_

And when they did, it didn't matter if it was okay to mess up and to get beat- her assurances of them getting stronger and working up to being the very best she _knew_ they would be- none of that mattered. Not when they were in SaberTooth, not when Minerva was there watching like a hawk and that bastard Jiemma was in control of the Guild.

They lose, and they were in danger... and that scared her, more than anything

She held it together, her hands falling on Lector and Frosch's heads as they all watched- stuck in that Box with the by now sneering figure of Minerva. She held it together and forced her expression never to break from tense neutrality, never cracking nor breaking under the weight of fear as they watched the battle turn- and the Fairy _dominated_ the Tigers.

Held it together even as they lost ground, traction, will and strength- and Sting and Rogue fought so damned _hard_. Watched and held it together as they did what she said- and gave it their all.

_Unison Raid._

That was their plan, they were hoping the power of the Unison Raid would take Natsu down and manage a way to leave them ahead. And Unison Raids aren't something just anyone can do, it's a feat near impossible for even the strongest of Mages- a feat Hora even hadn't ever managed in her lifetime with another person.

But Sting and Rogue? They were different, they could do it- had done it, so many times and every time it was _amazing-_ their Unison Raids weren't ever just half-assed, hardly put together attacks governed by luck alone. When they put their Magics together like that, it was strong, concentrated and amazingly in tune between both of them and through both of them- as their Magic fused together almost seamlessly.

And it was incredible... so, so _incredible._

But even.... even that failed, Natsu was stronger than Sting and Rogue had dared to think or even ever thought to give him credit for, and even more than Hora would have. Something had changed, drastically- since she'd worked with him.... or maybe she just.... hadn't wanted to see it

_"Crimson Lotus; Exploding Flame Blade!"_

The glow of Natsu's flames was brilliant, it shook the air and clashed with the bright white and black Raid- sending bits of color and Magic out all around it, intense, incredible power matched on intense and incredible power from both sides.

But the fire won out- the Unison Raid ending in a sea of orange as the flames and the two Saber's Magic was thrown back at them.... and Hora felt like she got hit too.

When the dust cleared, both Rogue and Sting fell, the Match was over.... they _lost_

"FAIRY TAIL IS NOW IN THE LEAD BY ONE POINT, WHAT A TURN!!"

Minerva clicked her tongue, earning Hora's eyes from the side as she felt ice run through her veins at what dangerous look had befallen SaberTooth's Lady.

The sheer disgust and the _malice_

_We are... we are screwed....._

The Exceeds were trembling under her hands, and Hora swallowed as she rubbed the top of their heads- a small, faint attempt at some sort of reassurance... but of course it did little.

She felt the sheer anger and rage bubbling from somewhere overhead- and she needn't see the source to know it came from Master Jiemma.

_Bloodlust_

Hora swallowed back against it, her eyes shifting toward Minerva as the woman raised a hand and her Magic flared- the Lacrima Vision screens still trained to Natsu, Sting and Rogue went dead and dark with a wave of her hand. Her movement earned everyone else's eyes, and her dark gaze snapped toward Hora- who stiffened slightly at it, but dared not let her face give way what panic shot through her with just a single look.

"Go and collect those two. Do what you will, but be prepared for an Audience with my father." Minerva growled lowly, her eyes glittering like dark chips of ice. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes flashing as she felt Lector and Frosch shiver against her hand- and she could hear Rufus and Orga hold their breath against the words and what venom Miverva sewed into them.

"You have one hour."

They all nodded stiffly, Hora's eyes casting sideways toward Rufus- who dipped his head slightly as a glow of gold swirled up around herself, him, the Exceeds and Orga all.

_This is bad.... and that dread?_

_It's a hundred times worse now.... shit_

_'...A looming storm....'_

* * *

 

Natsu let out a sigh, his countenance deflating slightly as his eyes found Sting and Rogue one the floor- both of them, including himself all covered in wounds and muck and blood.... But it was a hell of a fight. They were strong as hell, enough so even Natsu was by now completely beat.... _Damn._

He winced slightly, stepping to the side a bit to steady himself as a bout of lightheadedness rammed into him.

He really had had the crap beaten out of him, regardless if he was still standing... and he didn't mind much the pain or anything. There was that part of Natsu that had enjoyed the fight too, even if all through it there was that sinking feeling- that small worry of what would happen, if he did win.

Saber's Master had kicked Yukino out of the Guild for losing against Kagura, right? What would he do to Sting and Rogue now that they lost...?

He hated that, thinking anything would happen..... what a bastard of a Guild Master.

His eyes softened slightly as he glanced between both of the downed Dragon Slayers, his shoulders sinking slightly as he sighed- before smiling gently, almost all to himself.

"Heh.... Lets fight again someday, ok?" Natsu murmured softly, sweatdropping slightly after a minute as his eyes fell.

_..... and sorry in advance..... if this gets you in trouble..... I just wish I understood why.... why any of you just let him do any of that...._

His eyes widened slightly, perking slightly at the sudden glow of gold that appeared beside Rogue and Sting both- Natsu's nose twitching as he caught scent of something familiar, and he sweatdropped.

The gold swirled up in a spiral, clashing with the deep orange of the setting sun and the harsh shadows cast over the cave-in around them- before that Magic faded entirely and left the figures of Rufus, Orga, two Exceeds and one woman with fiery orange hair standing there in the collapsed cavern, not ten feet in front of him.

Natsu frowned slightly, his eyes flashing as Hora glanced toward him from the side- and his eyes landed on the dark bruising stretched across her cheek, injury still present from when she'd gotten hit at the SaberTooth Inn... when _he_ charged in.

Their eyes matched for a few seconds, and his stomach knotted at the fear on her face, the worry and the.... pain.

".... Hora.." Natsu started, she shook her head at him sharply, turning her back on him slightly as Lector and Frosch rushed up to their Partners, teary eyed and bristling from head to toe.

"S-sting-kun..!"

"Rogue..!"

Rufus and Orga split up, one each moving toward the downed Dragon Slayers and Hora stuck in place for a few seconds- she could feel Natsu's eyes on her back.

"..... Hora... look-" Natsu started again,

 _"Don't,_ Salamander." She grumbled sharply, he blinked, sweatdropping a bit more. He saw her fists clench at her sides and he swallowed back at the lump that was suddenly in his throat, "... just.... don't, Natsu. Don't apologize.... you won, fair and square. There's nothing wrong with that... all of you gave it everything you had, that's all I can ask...... you won, don't feel bad for it. Losing isn't.... its not a crime." Hora mumbled, her voice dropping slightly and he heard it tremble slightly at the end.

Her words earned quick glances from Rufus, Orga and the Exceeds- all of their expressions tense and serious, all of their ears ringing on that last part- that true, and yet untrue part.

_Losing isn't a crime_

_... but it might as well be, in this Guild.._

Hora's eyes were locked on the ground at her feet, she could feel all of them looking at her- feel her Guildmates looking to her for.... for _something,_ some assurance, something that would alleviate what fear they had now. Looking to her to be the one not to crumble under what serious shit-storm they all knew they were in now.... to be the one who was calm and stood tall in it, and she really was trying... and more, she wasn't struggling to.

Because her mind was made up now, and that certainty made it easier.

She forced herself a sigh, her head tilting slightly as she cast a glance over her shoulder back toward Natsu- and the Fire Dragon Slayer felt his heart twist when he saw the withdrawal and surrender buried in her expression.

_She looked like she was ready to just..... give up, maybe even like she planned to...._

He stiffened, his eyes widening as small flickers of panic and fear dawned on his face next.

"Don't worry about us, Salamander. We'll be fine." She told him quietly, her eyes glittering. Natsu felt his heart skip a beat, he didn't like that look she gave him, it was... it was almost hopeless, but more than that it was just so.... so acceptant, almost sickeningly so- and his blood turned to ice as dread fell over him like a heavy cloud.

".... what are you....?" He breathed, she smiled at him and shook her head.

"This time, Natsu- leave it alone." She murmured lowly, sternly almost and he swallowed. "You didn't listen the first time, but you _need_ to now, got it?" He just stared, fixed in his spot and hardly daring to breath-

He really did _not_ like that look, at all

Hora looked away from him, her hand waving at him almost nonchalantly, and just once. In the same time she glanced toward Rufus, and the blonde dipped his head in understanding.

"Bye, Natsu."

All of the Sabers disappeared in a wash of gold, and Natsu got left alone with his feet cold and his blood like ice- and he didn't know why, but he knew it wasn't... it wasn't good.

".... what... are you gonna do, Hora...?" Natsu breathed, his voice lost to empty air.

* * *

 

Hora's feet hit the floor in Sting and Rogue's room back at the Inn, Rufus, Orga, the Exceeds and the afore mentioned Dragon Slayers appearing in the room via Rufus' Magic at the same instant.

_I think Natsu could tell what I was thinking, huh... Lixue....?_

She didn't wait for a reply, and she didn't expect one either- her attention shifted toward the low moan and the hiss of pain that fell on her ears, both Sting and Rogue groggily coming to now from being knocked out a few minutes ago.

"Sting-kun, a-are you alright...?!" Lector hissed shakily, the blonde propped up only by Orga's hold on his arm, which the Lightning God Slayer had pulled it over his shoulders.

"R... Rogue...?" Frosch mewed, barely holding back tears as the Exceed floated in front of the Shadow Dragon Slayer being held up by Rufus in the same manner Sting was by Orga.

Rufus and Orga shifted, bringing themselves and the Dragon Slayers over toward their beds as they helped eased the injured Mages to sitting on the beds- the movement earned a few more winces and hisses of pain from both, and Lector and Frosch stuck close, shaking, alert...

"Tch.... we got our asses handed to us..." Sting growled lowly, his forehead falling in his hand as Rogue bent over a bit with his elbows on his knees. "...shit.... he was stronger than I thought...."

".... we underestimated him..... and we lost...." Rogue mumbled quietly, "..... even with both of us.... we were outmatched...... if Salamander was that strong, Gajeel would be too.... we haven't surpassed either of them..."

".... Master... and the Lady....." Sting mumbled, sweatdropping heavily as everyone else did too.

".... we are in trouble..." Rogue breathed, his voice trembling oh so faintly- Hora's heart twisted at it.

"... She gave us an hour to get you two fixed up, before facing Master." Orga explained lowly, Rogue and Sting seemed to gulp.

".... I'm so sorry... Hora..." Rogue muttered, she blinked in slight surprise.

"... you told us to give it everything we had.... and we..." Sting hissed, her eyes flashed.

"Why are you apologizing?" She sighed, both Sting and Rogue's heads snapped up in surprise at the question. She let out a breath, her hands on her hips and looking between the both of them- her expression nothing but calm and even... gentleness.

She shook her head a bit, her hands moving as she started to untie the ribbon wrapped around her torso and over her shirt- and then move it and wind it around her arm tightly. She pulled the red ribbon she'd gotten from Ira, from being around her wrist, holding it in her teeth and her hands working to pull her hair into ponytail, before using that ribbon to tie it.

Everyone in the room just watched her do so, unsure and staring- because what did she mean...?

"Losing isn't a crime." She murmured lowly, they blinked. "And don't worry about not beating Salamander... even if you don't match up now, you will- I know you'll be stronger than him and Gajeel some day. Don't doubt it."

She moved to place herself between both beds, her hands falling on Rogue and Sting's heads softly as she gave them both a gentle, sad little smile.

"You did what I asked, you both gave it everything you had, and you fought amazingly..... that's what matters." Hora told them quietly, their eyes flashed as their lips pulled into a tight line. She just smiled a bit more, her eyes glancing between them as she ruffled their hair a bit, "You were both incredible, and it's alright that you lost."

Her eyes dropped closed a moment as she let out a silent breath,

".... don't worry about what Master or Minerva will have to say about it.... we'll figure something out." Hora murmured softly, everyone exchanged quick glances between themselves as Hora let her hands remain still on top of their heads.

_We'll have to figure something out.... even if it means a last resort._

"... Everything will be fine... trust me." Hora murmured softly, they wilted a little.

_.... I just... I can't anymore._

They nodded a bit as her hands left their heads, she shot them a smile and they seemed to relax- just a little... and thankfully so did everyone else in the the room. She was happy she could manage to do that, even now.

_Even if that goes against everything he said, about what he and everyone else in the Guild would want... my mind is made up this time._

"For now we just need to worry about fixing you two up." Hora murmured, Sting and Rogue sweatdropped while everyone else in the room nodded in agreement.

_I'll do everything I can before I go all in... but if there's no other way, then I'll do it....... I'm not afraid to._

She caught Rogue's searching red stare for a few seconds, he was doing his best to understand what she was thinking now- and why it was she seemed so... calm. Especially because the situation called for anything but calm. And she hadn't been calm, not all day- and now she was, out of nowhere, and it put him on edge.

She looked away from him, her hand extending forward to take the bandages and towels that Lector and Frosch had started to gather up.

_I'm sorry.... I might not be able to do what you want.... but in the long run...... it will be better, for all of you._

She nodded toward the Exceeds, offering up a reassuring smile as Rufus moved forward to help her. Hora set the supplies down on the bed beside Rogue, her hands reaching forward to help him take what tattered mess was left of his cloak- off.

_... even if the better thing comes without me in it._

For years she'd stayed silent and watched as Jiemma ruled over the Guild without mercy, his daughter rising in ranks and influence as her cruelty grew worse with every passing year. For years she'd endured everything they threw at her and lived with it, she'd sat back and watched as people came and people got hurt- as her friends were mistreated and harmed.

For years she'd resigned herself to all of it, every second she hated it more and the fire inside burned brighter- and still she quelled it.

But the last few months her tolerance for all of it had been broken down, and faded- with the beating she endured for her help given to Fairy Tail, that tolerance was cut in half.

With every second she spent with Lucy, Happy and Natsu- that tolerance withered away without her realizing it. Her conviction and ire ignited when she went head to head with North Wind broke it down further.

When Yukino was humiliated and thrown out, that tolerance halved again- it lessened more the instant Jiemma struck out at her and slammed his Magic against her jaw.

What little tolerance she had left was nothing but a hairs-width tall now, after Minerva's brutality toward the blonde Celestial Mage she had come to call friend.

And now in the face of threat and danger toward Sting, Rogue, and the Guild as a whole... her tolerance was little to none, and her conviction was at a high it had never been in all her life. She regretted that it had taken her so long to earn any semblance of that conviction, though... or what steadiness and calm it brought with it.

She pulled the cloak away and set it down on the bed beside him, she could hear Sting growl as Rufus set to work helping Lector treat the White Dragon's wounds. Rogue hunched a little, his eyes snapping closed and holding his breath as he moved the wrong way and ended up in pain for it, Hora's eyes flashed a little.

_..... if it comes to that.... I'm sorry.... I hope you can all forgive me for it.... you too, Lixue._

Hora's hand trailed gently under Rogue's chin, making him tilt his head up toward her as she brought a towel wet with disinfectant up to his cheek and started to clean a cut running along his jaw. She felt him recoil faintly as she touched it, but he kept himself in place and quiet as best he could- and she was as gentle as she could be... more gentle than Rogue could ever remember her being.

His eyes locked on to her face, her own gaze following her work and not matching his- he was still searching her expression for some semblance of something, and she knew it. But she wouldn't dare let him see anything that would give away what it was she was thinking, or what she'd decided. Because he of all people in that room knew the full extent of her situation with Jiemma, and if his ire earlier when he stopped her going after Minerva was any indication... if he knew what it was she'd settled in her head now after a day of things just continually spiraling more and more out of control... he'd try and stop her.

_I won't risk it, if there is another way_

She kept on working in silence, every once in awhile murmuring a soft apology when she hurt him despite best efforts not to- she kept working and not saying a single thing to him even as she cleaned up cuts and bruises, wrapped wounds and whatnot. She didn't care about the blood she got on her hands, or what scarlet smeared across her shirt when she wiped her hands off on it- she didn't care if she got dirty, or her hands or anything else stained red. She was used to blood, and she simply cared about helping him.... that's all she ever wanted to do, for all of them.

_.... but if it comes down to it... and I have to go to a last resort..... even if Jiemma destroys you, Lixue..._

She tied the length of bandage she had wrapped around his forearm into a knot, her hands hesitating to let go for a few, fleeting seconds.

_..... even then, I can last for a few minutes.... and a few minutes is all I'll need._

Her eyes dropped closed for a second as she pulled her hands back only a little, one of them curling under his as she let her fingers twine with his gently.

"Come on, you can go get changed." She told the Shadow Dragon Slayer softly, their hands twining together a bit more tightly as she helped pull him to his feet and off the bed. Rogue nodded a little bit, wincing under his breath as he stood up- but he was steady enough she didn't mind letting their hands part again.

Hora glanced behind her toward Sting, the White Dragon Slayer covered in bruises and bandages just as Rogue was now- and already changed. Rufus had already moved himself away from Sting once he was done with his part, his hat and mask having long been abandoned on the table where Orga had been sitting in rigid silence the whole time.

Rogue moved off toward the bathroom with a spare clothes in hand and limping, leaving Hora standing by the bed with her hands on her hips and watching him go in silence.

That unending bad feeling that had never gone away was so heavy now she could hardly breathe... a shiver ran up her spine and she reflexively shut her eyes against it.

_...... I'm sorry..... I really don't want things to go that way.... I'm sure you really don't either..._

_'..... I can accept it.'_ Lixue replied softly, his voice making an appearance after a long bout of silence. _'I already accepted my fate long before I ever came to you, I'm not afraid of what might come now.'_

For once they were in complete agreement.... of course it had to be now, of all times. And about... _this._

She could feel the minutes counting down, the seconds that kept growing shorter as their hour of solace came closer to death. Seconds and minutes streaming passed and caught up in what spinning vortex of madness her life had turned into... spinning down further and further toward a pit as pitch black as those Markings born from her Magic she had always hated so, so much. Daylight failed with it as night settled in and the dark crept forward, consuming everything in the world, and threatening all light with it.

 _This,_ what was coming with Jiemma- this had to be what that looming storm was... that _dread._

And now that looming weight had fallen over all of them, everyone could feel it now- every single member of the SaberTooth Guild felt the darkness hanging over their heads as they waited for what was coming, what incredible bad was assuredly coming to them.

Hora's eyes fell on the smear of Rogue's blood across her shirt, her eyes flashing as she sighed.

 _This is what is was, then...?_ _So much bad..?_

She pulled the shirt up and over her head, taking it off and leaving the gray tank top underneath it in full view- it lift a little as she raised her hands over her head, and Sting's eyes found the bandages wound around her torso and stomach last night... and the stain of red of her own blood slowly seeping through the bandages again. She must have agitated the wound when Rogue had whisked her away during the Naval Battle, and Sting swallowed a bit at the thought of it.

After how angry and worked up she had been- she'd been on the _warpath_ \- after all of that, how could she seem as calm as she did right now? How could she and her voice stay so steady when she said everything was going to be okay? How could any of this turn out okay?

What changed in her, that neither he, nor anyone else in the room could understand?

Rogue came back from the bathroom, changed into clean clothes and looking as sullen and somber as someone at a funeral.... they all looked that way, no matter how hard they tried not to.

"..... we'll be fine." Hora murmured aloud, caching everyone's ears in a split second. "... if we give it our all, both here and in the Games... everything will be fine. It'll work out... I promise."

Why did she sound like she really believed that?

"Don't get discouraged now, any of you." Hora went on, dropping her shirt on the nightstand and her hands falling on her hips. She let her dark blue eyes sweep out over the room, catching every single one of their eyes as she nodded at them, everything about her was just so... resolute, and in some way that was a million times more soothing to them than they believed it ever could be. "You'll live through this, you're too strong not to." She told them firmly, they blinked at the words- before they nodded, sweatdropping.

".... yeah." Sting and Rogue mumbled, Lector and Frosch nodded a bit more firmly than they needed, but they looked more resolute none the less, their paws clenched and tails held a bit higher. Orga grumbled under his breath, his arms crossed over his chest and not bothering to say anything- but he looked a little less on edge too.

"It would be remiss of us not to trust what you say, after everything." Rufus murmured softly with a nod to Hora, "... We trust you, and we trust what you believe... things will work themselves out, one way or another.... I do believe that as well." Hora's eyes glinted,

"Good." She murmured,

She felt that shadow lurking and stalking as they left the room- the hour finally up.

Every step was a thousand pounds, their trek down the hallway and toward the main portion of the inn felt like a lifetime, and still she felt that shadow following... that bad feeling sharpening to a fine a point as the end of the hallway came into view, and she saw the rest of the Guild already lined up ahead of them. She saw the rigidness and the fear etched into the backs of everyone ahead of her, Hora bringing up the rear of their little group and fists clenched at her sides. She felt the ache and the pain in all their hearts, and what agony was still bombarding Sting and Rogue from their fight- though they walked as tall and as evenly as they possibly could.

Show no weakness... especially not after losing.

And that bad feeling became so, so suffocating- her blood was ice and her heart skipped a beat as they came within a few feet of the main hall.

_This is it, isn't it-_

She went stiff as a board, her steps faltering as the dread sharpened into a clear, sickening sense of unrelenting danger out of nowhere- her mouth fell open in reaction, a gasp rising from her throat- but it got cut off when someone's _hand_ clapped down over her mouth from behind.

_What the hell-?!_

She couldn't move, she couldn't make a sound, and she hadn't even a single second to react before the sight of everyone ahead of her got swallowed up in nothing but sheer, unending black. Her world tipped and the ground disappeared under her feet, her core flipping as all sense of up and down failed her- and she was being held and bound- unable to move as hands from some stranger held to her body, cold against her skin, unfamiliar- _terrifying._

She had no idea what was going on, or what happened, where she was- nothing!

_Nothing... but... why can I smell Sting and Rogue....?_

_N... no... that's not right..... this scent.... it's one scent... it's... it's_ _**wrong** _ _-_

_W-who the hell is....?!_

She was struggling, trying and pulling with every bit of strength she had- but it didn't do a damn thing, she couldn't move- she was _paralyzed_ , and her heart dropped.

_What the fuck is going on!?_

"Forgive me, I understand this is disorienting...."

Hora's heart skipped a beat, her eyes flicking this way and that and searching the black, but there wasn't anything to see- she couldn't see anything, and that voice in her ear sent shivers running up and down her spine. It was so low and cold and... and _dead-_

"...... in all things that lead up to this..... whether you are there or not, Rogue will still know." The voice went on, hot breath washing against her ear- she wanted nothing more than to pull away, but she couldn't fucking move!

_W-wait, what about Rogue...?!_

"..... if any of them were as they are, where I am now, they would try and change what will come.... but I cannot risk the future changing, the Dragon King Festival must go on... the Eclipse Gate must open."

Hora gulped, her mind racing her heart pounding like a drum.

_Dragon King what...?! And what the hell is an 'Eclipse Gate'.....?!_

"..... this must happen for the future to remain as I need it....... even with you no longer at the Inn, when Jiemma acts, Rogue will understand what has happened... he will know why you never come back, Horatia." The voice went on lowly, every word of it making her heartrate pick up and the terror get worse-

 _N-never come back...?_ _W-what... what is this... guy talking about....?_

"..... and he will know who to blame, and who it is who is responsible for killing you."

She felt her heart stop altogether, her breath snatched away and eyes wide- paralyzed, taken and blind, with someone whose breath still brushed against her neck- her world gone and empty and cold around her and her nose filled with a scent that was so close to being familiar, but that was so, so wrong.... so _twisted._

And a voice that was so cold and empty and still.... s...still.....

_.... w...why... why does it almost... s...sound like... R-Rogue's.... voice.....?_

_A-and.... what does he mean.... k.. **kill** me...?_

"And his convictions will solidify when they find your body..... when he realizes that you died alone...... with your death, the future unfolds as it should... and the Eclipse Gate will open, the Dragon King Festival will go on- and I will still have what I came for."

_W-wait... I.. i....?!_

The hands moved, releasing her but her body still wouldn't listen- she couldn't see him, her Captor, everything was still too dark, they were still floating in a world of jet black- but she could feel that Stranger move, trailing around her until he was in front of her. They were so close she could feel their body against hers, their hands hooking behind her head and her neck as she felt their body-heat wash against her face... they.... whoever it was, they were pressed so close.... _too close....!_

".... hmm..... alone and in agony..... left to die on the streets without anyone near..... destroyed by the actions of someone you and I once called friend." He hissed, his thumbs tracing across her cheeks as he held her face... gently.

"Forgive me, Horatia. But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."

_Second time..?! What the hell does he mean, second time-!?_

Hora's thoughts broke off as her eyes went wide and still saw absolutely nothing but unending black, sweatdropping heavily as she felt the Stranger's lips press against hers, locked in a kiss she wasn't ready for nor wanting- but still her body was fixed, and she couldn't even pull away.

The kiss didn't break for a few seconds that stretched to millions of years in terrified, paralyzed stillness with her heart pounding deafeningly in her ears- and when the Stranger pulled away she was left feeling... _violated._

"Hmm.... I felt nothing.... perfect."

His hands on the back of her head and neck moved forward, a suddenly cruel grip clamping down on her windpipe and cutting off all air.

"I will leave you to your fate now, Horatia... goodbye, for the final time."

She was hoisted up by her throat, she could feel the black all around swirling and frothing, like some massive ocean of shadow that she couldn't escape- and it all swirled, violently- light breaking through and blinding her as she choked.

She was thrown, her body bouncing painfully against stone and wall as the world of no light was lost and her world returned again- but the SaberTooth Inn was _gone._

She hit the ground with a painful thud, coughing and sputtering as she was finally able to take air in again- her head whirling and her vision swimming as she struggled to make sense of what the fuck just happened, and where in the hell she was-?!

There were buildings all around her, the night sky overhead and the stars dimmed from the backlash of city lights and a populace of the thousands held in Crocus- her body hitting the pavement underfoot and surrounded by brick walls, trash and other rubbish strewn about and completely alone- though she could hear people not far off on the main streets. In the course of five minutes she was hundred of miles away from the SaberTooth Inn, and dumped in some back-alley on the opposite end of Crocus- _what?!_

She jumped up and on to her feet in the next second, senses on high alert and nerves on an all-time high as her gaze swept across every inch of space around her searching for who or what had snatched her, but she was alone- just as it...

"... n.. no seriously...?! What the _fuck_ is going on... what just happened...?!" Hora snapped out loud, her voice hushed and shaking so damn badly- but she couldn't even manage a way to calm down, not even a little. She was turning this way and that, her eyes searching and her body shaking despite herself- panic sinking it's claws in deeper by the second.

"Y-you have to be.... what the fuck...?! Future...?! Dragon King Festival..!? Eclipse Gate..?!" She hissed, her eyes wild and glinting feverishly as she looked around still, not knowing what the hell to even just..... _WHAT?!_

"Lixue, what in the fuck....!? You heard all of that, right...!? Wh-who... in.... what....." Hora stammered, her voice breaking as the color drained from her face more than it already had, and she felt sick- her whirling thoughts landing on one thing.

".. what... what did that guy... mean....? T...that I'm gonna.... die...?!" She hissed breathlessly, her voice harsh and cracking as she shivered so hard she felt like her knees were about to give out. She was freaking out, panicking and panting- she couldn't even breathe, or even think about-

That bad feeling?

_T...this....?_

"Lixue, what the hell is-?!" Hora snapped, her panic making her incredibly impatient- but she never finished her question.

Her voice died in an agonized yelp, her breath driven away and her lungs ceasing any semblance of function as she felt something inside of her shatter- she went quiet, unable to make a single noise even when she heard Lixue's voice raise in a ringing, blood-curdling scream of sheer _pain_. Her hands grabbed at her chest, her knuckles white from the grip around her tanktop and her knees bending so far she was half her height and barely staying standing, she tried to scream, or cry or something- but nothing came out, her mouth opened soundlessly as her world slammed to a sharp halt.

Sticky red splattered against the concrete at her feet, she never even heard herself cough- the metallic liquid rushed up her throat and fell in a river passed her lips as she doubled over, suffocating, burning, cold-

Lixue screamed again and she _heard_ it splinter further, felt it through every inch of her being and her soul as pain unlike anything coursed through every vein, bone, muscle, cell- millions upon millions of invisible blades suddenly thrust through every inch of her body and yet nothing ever touched her.

No- something did, Magic- Magic held by the cruel hand of he who had long since turned her slave, and that hand had now crossed hundreds of miles and gripped tight about that precious stone settled in her body, and was _crushing_ it.

Destroying... killing it... _killing... L... Lixue...._ _Killing_ **_her_**

_Both of us_

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't even fathom how to- she was breaking apart from the inside out and she felt her being being broken apart in tandem with him, the fire leaping at the sudden weakness and raging in all her pain and confusion and terror. The flame and furnace surged inside of her, burning and breaking as it washed across every inch of her- burning her again from the inside out and threatening to break her body just as that Lacrima was splintering with every second that... t..that...

_J...Jiemma..... is.... de...stroying.... it...._

The Black Markings burned across her skin, stretching with more speed and ferocity than it ever had and consuming her just as the fire was _eating_ her alive from the inside out, and her mind was unhinging- her thoughts rampant and fractured and she just.. couldn't..!

_Jiemma.... is... he's trying... t...to kill... us....?!_

She couldn't think, she couldn't even make sense of herself or anything- not if she was moving or breathing or screaming, she was just struggling, writhing and fighting and trying to just... _just make it stop!!!_

She lost it, every semblance of control or thought or even any hold on reality- and the fire consumed it all, it took over- and she _lost it_

_S..S..STOP..... P..PLEASE.....!!!_

She was pleading and begging, burning alive and being ripped apart from the inside out- her soul being crushed and her life being destroyed with it as Jiemma's Magic and his Possession Link did what she had dreaded- and her anger and rage mixed with the agony and the fear and when she lost control of herself and every rational, clear thought-

_STOP!!!!_

She was screaming, her throat burning and choking on blood- and Lixue was screaming too.

The night air of the city of Crocus was ripped apart by her voice, the calm and the quiet shattered as her screams of agony and torture rung on the cool night sky and chilled everyone in earshot to the bone. Those closest looked around wildly for the source, and as they looked down that alleyway they were blown backward as a wave of blistering, crimson red fire streamed out from the confined space with so much ferocity the air boomed and the buildings melted and broke apart in it's quake.

The inhabitants of Crocus screamed and yelled, scrambling as they ran for their lives and faces filled in terror as the tortured screaming persisted, and the flames struck out randomly, wild and hungry and uncontrolled- breaking and melting and burning everything in reach. In seconds everyone in the area was sprinting, all of them running away and not daring to look back as the flames burned brighter and the explosions persisted with fervor- the more wild the fire got, the more agonized became the screaming, the more ragged.

_STTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!_

That band of Fairy Tailers that had been rushing away from the Palace and back to their Inn with dire news on their minds and the threat of a Guildmate taken and captured was forced into a jagged half-halt as the destruction and the screaming started somewhere off their current path. Their already strained emotions at the capture of their blonde Celestial Mage and the betrayal of the Royal Advisor was broken and crashed into by shock and confusion- all of them stiff and on high alert as they saw the flames licking at the dark sky and felt the heat even from distance. The people of Crocus yelled and ran passed them, headed away from what danger there was and whoever it was that was screaming so, so terribly-

\- Screams of agony and pain and torture that were unlike anything they'd ever heard, and it made their hearts knot.

"What the hell is going on..?!" Gajeel and Gray snapped lowly,

"Juvia does not like this..." Juvia mumbled, her eyes flashing.

"Those screams..." Lily grumbled, Happy bristled from head to foot,

"T-that's.... f...fire....?" Happy stammered, his voice breaking as his heart did too at the sound.

"W...who...?" Wendy stammered, eyes wide in fright and trembling. Carla at her side was staring, sweatdropping heavily as he mind raced with images of a city in ruin-

"...I...Is this....?" The she-cat hissed under her breath,

Natsu grimaced, his eyes narrowed to slits and face pale- he was panting and shaking, but not from fright- he was drained and the world was spinning regardless of how much he wanted it to stop. There was not an ounce of Magic in him, and his body ached terribly from having it stripped away by the Eclipse Gate- it was all he could do at that moment to just keep up with everyone as they rushed back toward the Inn, and stopping now had him feeling dizzy. He could hear the screams, they were painfully loud on his heightened hearing and he heard how rough the voice was, how hoarse it was getting and even strangled. Whoever it was, they were in pain- they were being tortured, and it made him growl.

His nose twitched, taking in the air on instinct to try and catch clue of what it was and who was in that direction- Wendy and Gajeel doing the same as he was, and Natsu and Wendy went deathly still, their eyes widening in horror and their hearts plummeting into the earth. Wendy let out a terrified gasp, her face pale and shaking as her hands moved up to cover her mouth- and Natsu stopped breathing for a few seconds.

"T-that...!" Wendy struggled to say anything, her suddenly terrified expression earning looks of shock and concern from many of the others.

"What?" Gajeel grumbled quickly, rounding on the younger.

"Hey, Natsu- what the hell..?!" Gray snapped, sweatdropping heavily as he saw horror dawn on Natsu's face where the Ice Mage had never seen it before.

"...s..shit..." Natsu breathed, his eyes flashing as his dropped jaw snapped shut and he started sprinting forward before anyone else even had time to react. Wendy broke away from her terror and started to follow the Fire Dragon Slayer only a second after- everyone else reeling a millisecond more, before they all rushed after Natsu and headed toward the source- and completely in the opposite direction of their original destination.

"OI! Salamander!!" Gajeel snapped hotly,

"Wendy child, what has gotten into you..?!" Carla demanded,

"Natsu!! Wha-?!" Happy stammered,

"What the hell is going on?!" Gray yelled, neither Natsu nor Wendy slowed up for even an instant.

"I remember this scent!" Wendy called back breathlessly, everyone blinked at it.

"Remember what scent..?" Most everyone grumbled,

"It's Hora!" Natsu snapped back hotly, his voice edged in fear that was unlike him- and every single Fairy Tailer stiffened at the name. Happy nearly fell out of air when his wings ceased to function for a few seconds, and Carla gulped- whilst Juvia, Gajeel, Gray, and Lily's ears rung with the name they had heard mentioned beforehand.

"H-Hora..?!" Happy squeaked,

"Ain't that the chick who found Wendy and Carla....?" Gajeel grumbled, Gray nodded slightly.

"The one from another Guild..." The Ice Mage grumbled,

"Somethin' ain't right!" Natsu snapped, "She wouldn't be tearing up a city over nothing! And she... she's the one yelling, something is _wrong!!"_

And he instantly wondered if it had something to do with the bad feeling he got earlier, from that look she had when she told him to leave it, again. _  
_

They felt the heat thicken, a cloud of it hanging over everything and the ground shaking underfoot as they followed Natsu and Wendy straight into the fray- the flames a blood red color and destruction thrown about, the screams ringing on their ears as they skidded to a halt at the edge of what looked like a warzone.

Natsu's jaw clenched, his eyes glittering like mad as he scanned the wall of flame blazing in the center of it all- his heart skipping a beat when he found that familiar head of hair and that woman he had come to recognize so easily.

"Hora!"

She was on the ground, writhing and twisting and fidgeting as she screamed, curled in on herself and blood smeared across the blackened stone and ground as she coughed it up- clutching to her chest and her skin marked across by jagged, inky black Markings that seemed to swim and shift and burn like fire in themselves.

"A-atia...!" Happy stammered, tears in his eyes in the matter of a few seconds and shaking like a leaf.

"Oh no...!" Wendy breathed,

"What is she...?" Gray muttered,

"She's out of control." Lily grumbled lowly, Natsu hissed as he started forward without a second thought and toward the fire. He didn't hear nor care about several others in his group warning him not to rush off,

"Hora!" He snapped, his voice nearly drowned out by the screaming and the roar of the flames themselves. He stiffened though, his movement stalling and eyes widening as the fire shifted almost of it's own volition. They struck out toward him with so much ferocity he was slammed into and knocked back toward his Guild-mates, Gray growled- his hands lifting as he erected a wall of ice that blocked the overflow of the fire headed straight for the rest of them. His shield blocked it, but it hissed, steaming and shattering- melting away in a million pieces.

"Are you alright...?!" Wendy questioned Natsu quickly, he growled.

"Yer 'friend' just attacked us, Salamander." Gajeel snapped hotly,

"The hell she did!" Natsu retorted quickly,

"Yer gonna say that when she just threw your ass?"

"She seems to be in a lot of pain." Juvia mumbled quietly,breaking up what was quickly going to be an argument between both Slayers.

"You're right." Wendy said, her eyes flashing. "Natsu-san is right, there's something wrong. She's hurting, badly- she probably doesn't even know what's going on..!"

"And what do you expect to do?" Carla growled, "Even if you're right, you cannot get close to her! We cannot do a thing while her Magic is so out of control!"

"Carla I have to try!" Wendy argued hotly, her eyes glinting. "If she's hurt I have to help her! She helped us when we got attacked by Raven Tail!"

"That doesn't mean you should risk your life!" Carla retorted, "You don't have any idea what could even be the matter!"

"Then I'll use a Diagnostic Spell, we have to do something- we have to try and figure out what is wrong." Wendy said firmly, her eyes glittering and her expression suddenly resolute.

"How close do you need to be to use a Spell like that, Wendy?" Natsu asked instantly, both he and the younger Dragon Slayer ignoring the stern look from Carla and everyone else.

"I can use it from here, but I won't get a very good idea of what's wrong if I don't get within at least 5-6 feet from her. If I'm going to really understand what's going on, I need to get at least that close." Wendy replied quickly, Natsu nodded stiffly.

"Alright, stick close to me." He ordered, Wendy nodded.

"You're crazy!" Carla snapped,

"You might be fireproof, but the kid ain't!" Gajeel growled,

"You don't have any Magic right now either!" Gray hissed, Natsu shot them a glare.

"We ain't gonna just sit here!" the pinkette hissed, "Don't worry about my Magic Energy- I'm just gonna eat Hora's fire!" They blinked in surprise at that, Gray grimacing. "I can keep most of the fire away from Wendy, even if Hora's Magic is out of control- I'll _force_ it to cut it the hell out, if I have to!"

"Juvia can help keep the fire contained." Juvia butted in, her eyes narrowed and expression serious. "Fire's natural enemy is water, Juvia is the best match to contend with this Magic." Gray grimaced at the bluenette, and Gajeel huffed.

"She has a point." Lily intoned lowly,

"We don't have time to argue about it!" Wendy said urgently, "If she's hurt enough to react like this, we can't waste a lot of time!"

"Then let's go." Natsu growled, Wendy nodded stiffly and Juvia did too- the trio starting forward as Juvia erected a wall of water around herself and Wendy, and Natsu jumped straight into the fire.

Gray hissed, shaking his head in exasperation- exasperation that was mirrored in everyone else.

"... this is a terrible plan." Gajeel grumbled, but even despite his clear disapproval, and Gray's too- they shifted, ready to jump in and fight with all they had anyway- Lily close behind while Happy and Carla kept their distance, watching.

"This woman's Magic is incredible..." Lily intoned lowly, and Gray and Gajeel had to agree. THey could feel the power coming from her, waves of pressure and a heaviness on the air that wasn't just the heat.

Natsu's mouth fell open, leaning back as he sucked in and the fire going wild all around and started eating it. The wall of fire surrounding Hora on all sides shifted, most of it being forced into streaming toward Natsu as Wendy and Juvia started passed him and to the side a little- the fire a bit more tame and hissing as Juvia warded off what parts of it broke away to try and batter her and Wendy. Wendy's hands lift, pressed close to Juvia and the wall of water keeping the fire at bay- eyes narrowed in concentration as she let her palms face where Hora was still squirming and screaming on the ground.

Wendy's eyes fell closed in concentration, Juvia sweatdropping and quickly feeling the might of the fire getting all the fiercer even as Natsu tried to eat up every shred of it he could- but the fire seemed almost endless.

Wendy sweatdropped, her brows knitting together as she felt something dark and malicious rise up in her mind's eye amidst her Diagnostic Spell. Some Magic that had wrapped itself around Hora and was... hurting her, breaking... some....

Wendy's eyes snapped open, her Spell failing as her jaw dropped and her heart skipped a beat and her mind whirled, quickly trying to piece together what was happening and what she could do- whatever Magic it was, it felt like that same evil and darkness that had seeped into Natsu's scarf back on Tenrou. Something powerful and cruel that had latched on to her like a lock, and was using it's own Power to slowly break apart something inside of her.

"There's some sort of Spell locked on to her, and it's attacking her!" Wendy called out breathlessly, her hands raising as her Magic flared again- setting to work straight away and aware that Juvia was grunting now in the effort of warding off the fire. "I think I-!"

"Watch it!"

Wendy broke off at the sudden warning, her and Juvia's attention snapping behind them to see the fire had rounded on them and was about to crash down over them in all it's smoldering intensity. Juvia whipped around, her Water Magic moving in tandem with her and the air shaking as the Water and the fire crashed into one another strong enough to send a wall of air washing out around it, and Juvia winced as she was pushed back a few inches, her feet skidding over the ground.

"Juvia!" Wendy gasped,

Natsu coughed, forced to give up sucking in all the fire when he ran out of air- his eyes snapped toward Wendy and Juvia, hissing. "Shit...!" He growled,

"Tch... You trying to tell me she really don't know what she's doin'?" Gajeel snapped at Natsu, the Iron Dragon Slayer having already moved to put himself between the fire and Juvia and Wendy. His hand turned into a broad sword, he swung around- pushing at the air and throwing a wave of it at the fire to ward it off further, his arm acting as a large, single fan blade. "Her Magic must have a mind of it's freakin' own if that's true, Salamander!" Natsu sweatdropped at the words- because Gajeel didn't understand how true those words were. Hora had told him, that her Magic was dark and had a mind its own, and that she had a hard time keeping it controlled all the time.

But Natsu didn't get a chance to reply to what Gajeel said, Wendy cut him off. "I don't think she even knows what's going on! She's in too much pain, and that Magic is hurting her really badly!" Wendy told Gajeel quickly,

"So she's delirious?" Gray grumbled,

"Which makes her even more dangerous- she might be confused enough to attack us regardless if we're trying to help or not." Lily grumbled,

"Tch... This sucks." Gajeel huffed hotly,

"Wendy! Can you get rid of what Magic is is that's hurting her?" Carla called,

"I'll try, but the harder I try and Dispel it, the more it fights back- and the more it'll hurt Hora." Wendy said tensely, everyone sweatdropped at that.

"If you don't get rid of it, what'll happen?" Gray asked lowly, Wendy's face pulled, her expression fearful- and that was answer enough.

"If I don't stop it and soon... She might.... she might die..!" Wendy hissed,

"Then do it!" Natsu ordered sharply, "Juvia, keep Wendy safe! The rest of us will try and keep her Magic focused on us and not you!"

"Right!" Wendy replied,

"So what, we're roast-bait?" Gray growled, not at all pleased with the plan.

"Just shut up and do it, Popsicle!" Natsu snapped back, his expression hard and Gray blinked at it. Natsu's eyes snapped away from the Ice Mage as his arms swiped out, fire erupting around him and slamming into the crimson red as it struck out toward him in retaliation.

"You want her attention on us Salamander, fine." Gajeel grumbled hotly, his hand snapping forward and transforming into a club as he aimed for the woman laying amongst that wild, burning inferno. Gajeel, nor anyone else among their group expected Hora to move- she seemed like she was out of it, entirely- but somehow she sensed the danger of Gajeel's attack, and she _moved_.

His club stuck into the ground as the woman rolled back a bit, her eyes that had been shut tight against the pain snapping open- bloodshot and glittering in agony, she missed the hit by barely an inch and she pushed herself up and onto her feet. Trembling and panting, her screaming ceasing and turning into a series of groans and wincing that was no less pain filled- but now in the haze of her blurred, swirling, out of control mind- her body and her Magic snapped into action at the threat, and she didn't even register it- she _couldn't_

She was _lost_

She had no idea who it was, who any of them were around her- she couldn't hear them over her heart, or the sound of the breaking- and not over the sound of Lixue's agonized screaming all through her shattered and shredded mind. She couldn't see them, her vision was blurred and red and black at the edges- all of it was nothing but a haze of color quickly turning monochrome as she slipped further and further into what Jiemma was trying to send her toward-

It was nothing but disoriented, dizzy, innate and panic and pain driven reaction- her body moving without thinking and her Magic doing what it will, she had no say in any of it anymore.

She just wanted it to stop

Her hand swung forward, the fire burning brighter and wilder- the metal of Gajeel's arm already uncomfortably hot suddenly burning as he pulled it back quickly, his red eyes flashing and jaw clenching when he realized that- _that was a mistake_

"..shit-!" He hissed, the fire streaming out toward him faster than he could manage to move.

There was a heavy boom as the fire rammed into Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer sent hurtling backwards to slam into a building hard enough to leave a crater in the stone.

"Gajeel, are you alright?" Lily called quickly, by now in his Battle Form and glancing back toward what mess of rubble his Partner was in now. Gajeel let out a series of curses and grumbling, picking himself out of the mess and looking incredibly displeased- but quite alright, if maybe a bit singed.

"Fine." He growled, rolling his shoulders. ".... that chick packs a hell of a punch, I'll give her that...." He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he saw Hora move again, her legs shaking as she stayed standing and blood dripping passed her lips as she hissed, but those eyes of hers- striking gold and red and.... dull, unfocused, wild.

"Hora!" Natsu called quickly, pushing further into the fire that was getting more fierce, spinning around her like beasts and snakes, he got pushed back but still managed a few feet forward- getting closer to her and onyx eyes searching. Searching for some semblance of focus or recognition in her, but she honestly didn't even seem to hear him- but she knew he was there... or at least, _someone_ was there.

He heard her groan, more blood falling passed her lips as she coughed once- her arms swept up, the Markings still swirling and spinning across her skin like black fire in themselves and Natsu stiffened.

_STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!_

"Hora wait-!" Natsu snapped, but it was too late.

The fire streamed out toward him, tearing up the ground and making the air whine with the speed it moved at- his hands moved up to block himself, grasping at the flames and the breath driven from him as he struggled to stay standing and stuck in his spot. Natsu got pushed back, his feet digging into the ground and hands.... _singing..?!_

Natsu's eyes glittered, his jaw clenching and his stomach twisting- he'd felt it again when he was eating it, that darkness in her Magic, the wild, erratic nature- but this?

This was league's different from back then, it was insane- it was so out of control and it was like some mad, raving beast that was striking out randomly, and even his attempts at making it sit still were proving quickly useless. And it was stinging against his skin, he was sweating- the fire had reached temperatures and a level that even a _Fire Dragon Slayer_ was feeling- shit!

This was so bad, she was completely out of control, and she was hurt- he could see the agony she was in, the sight of that blood falling passed her lips had him feeling cold. Wendy's words were ringing on his ears, the look on her face making his heart ache-

 _This is **bad!**_ _She's dying-_

He stumbled back, his arms swinging out and behind him as he forced the flames to break apart and they rushed out randomly on either side of him, Gray growled as his Magic flared in tandem with Natsu's movement. Walls of ice erected all around the square and shattering in contact with the wash of fire, but blocking it regardless.

"Well now you pissed her off." Gray grumbled hotly and shooting a look at Gajeel, who just grumbled in annoyance.

"Hora, listen to me!" Natsu called again, his feet bringing him forward toward her and spinning out of the way of another haphazard attack, a pale blue Magic Circle appeared in air over the center of Hora's back, though she nor anyone else noticed it.

"You gotta quit! You're losing control over your Magic!" Natsu yelled, his voice breaking off in a pained grunt as he got knocked back by another attack- she was throwing Magic out in every direction now, uncontrolled, unaimed- but no less destructive. All of the Fairy Tailers were moving and blocking against the flames, straining under the effort of the sheer force behind every scrap and wash of crimson red, raging hot flame- her fire felt a million times hotter than even _Natsu's._

Who the hell is this woman anyway?!

She moved, her dull golden, pain-filled eyes locked on to Natsu's continual attempt at getting closer to her- and her feet pushed off the ground hard enough to crack the pavement. Natsu's movement slammed to a halt, reeling as she appeared right in front of him in seconds- her fist consumed in inky black and fire sparking as she swung toward him. He growled, his own hands snapping up to try and catch the hit.

He winced, both of his hands catching her fist and his palm bruising instantly at the contact, a rush of air rushing out around them as both he and Hora came to a halt. His arms were shaking as he kept hold on her fist, his eyes narrowed and locking with her own- but she didn't see him, and regardless of him having caught her in that moment, her Magic was still tearing out around everywhere else- and the rest of his Guild-Mates were still straining to guard against it all.

"Hora listen, it's _Natsu!"_ He hissed lowly, she coughed, her jaw clenched but even then the blood managed it passed her teeth. Her free hand swung up to strike out at him, and one of his hands broke from holding the first to catch that one too- his fingers curling tightly around her hands, locking her in place though she immediately tried to pull free. "You gotta stop, I know you're hurting but you're gonna hurt other people at this rate!" Natsu pressed further, hoping maybe if he kept on there would be something- some recognition or understanding, but no-

"Hora, hear me! You have to stop! We're trying to help you!"

 _-No,_ the pain was just to blinding, and her mind was just too far gone in all of it- and the pain he saw in her made his heart break.

_What happened..?!_

The pain tripled out of nowhere and that was _it-_

She yelped, her hands twisting in his and ripping them away from him, her Magic doubled up around her in a dome and it exploded. Natsu was sent flying and the crimson red flame struck hard against everything in a ten foot radius, melting and blackening and tearing.

Hora yelled, her steps faltering as she lost balance and almost hit the ground- panting and hardly able to breathe at all, grabbing at the tank top over her chest, her eyes snapping shut against it and her Magic shaking badly with it- almost.... _dying..._

Wendy winced, pulling herself to her feet from having been knocked back- her Spell shattered at the sudden flux and surge of Hora's Magic, and that pale blue Magic Circle that had been stuck to Hora's back shattered by the heat. Wendy's hands balled into fists in front of her as her eyes snapped back toward Hora, frowning as small hints of panic hit her- but there was determination there too.

Of course, Wendy helped anyone she could and this one- this was a bit more personal. Hora, a stranger maybe, that woman had found her and Carla when they'd been hurt and brought them back to the Guild. She'd helped them both even when Natsu and Happy made it clear that helping them at all would get her in trouble.

And right now Hora was in trouble, she was hurting and she was being hurt so badly she was going to die- Wendy knew that, and she had to do everything she could to save her.

"I almost had it...." She hissed under her breath, her eyes dropping closed as her palms moved over one another and Wendy's Magic flared again.

"Whatever you're going to do Wendy, you need to do it quickly!" Carla called,

"Please hurry Wendy...!" Happy stammered, Wendy heard them both but she never replied, her attention fell into focusing on her Spell even as the conflict and Hora's Magic continued to rage all around.

"She's making a mess!" Gajeel snapped, warding off yet another wash of fire and sweatdropping. Lily jumped back to stand beside him, sword in hand and ears pressed flat against his head.

"All of this destruction is going to earn unwanted attention." Lily grumbled,

"Natsu, you good?!" Gray called over to the Dragon Slayer who'd been thrown quite hard- and was slowly picking himself up off the ground, still pale and still feeling the effects of getting Drained by the Eclipse Gate- even if eating Hora's Magic should have given him a boost.

"Don't worry about me!" He panted, huffing a little as he pushed himself up all the way.

"Water Lock!" Juvia had moved to place herself in front of Hora, the water streaming up and from her as it converged and moved to encircle Hora in a watery trap. It lunged out, Hora's eyes snapping open when it did so and lips curling in a snarl as she stepped forward. "Your fire will be no match against my Water Magic." Juvia grumbled her eyes flashing as Hora's hands swept forward toward the wall of water coming at her from the front, unawares of what Magic Circle had snapped over the center of her back again, a blue haze spreading out over her body by Magic that wasn't her own.

Juvia stiffened, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the fire burning bright around Hora suddenly dim down into nothing- and a flash of blue caught her eye behind the woman. The Water Mage's attention snapped over toward Wendy as the Sky Dragon Slayer stood just outside the confines of the water, her palms hovering over one another and her body shimmering in pale blue and white as her Magic rose to extremes she hadn't used since her fight with Sherria. Her blue hair rose and streamed under the pressure of her own Magic, spare bits of rubble and ash shifting and moving as air spiraled up around the little Dragon Slayer in a striking clash of shinning white against the contrast of the night sky.

Wendy's eyes snapped open, her palms separating as she swept her arms out on either side of her and the light of her Magic grew brighter around Hora, streams of it moving toward the woman from Wendy's own body.

"Deus Zero!"

Hora could smell the moisture around the scent of ash and blood, she could feel the rush of cool air wash against her face as the water rushed toward her- and her body moved on it's own to counteract, to throw her Magic out toward it, and burn it away.

Her hand swept forward, her body giving off an odd glow of white and blue that hurt her eyes and swum even worse than everything else in her already blurred vision- her fingers curled and the Markings that had been consuming her skin entirely were spinning, patches of skin visible and becoming more so as time seemed to slow down on that single instant she moved to retaliate against the Water Magic.

Hora couldn't tell or even notice her flames had died off all on their own volition, everything got swallowed up as the pain spreading from her center and outward to every inch of her body heightened to a sudden extreme, it was blinding.

And still the only thing on her mind was _stop_

Stop the water, stop the pain... _just make it all stop-_

The inky black Markings swirled, their vigor fading fast as they receded back up to her shoulder and disappeared altogether- time dragging by in moments stretched to hours as her fingers brushed against the water, and everything went so, so quiet.

Lixue's screams of pain and agony cut off abruptly, the sound of that precious stone in her chest chipping away and shattering failed too- she could hear her heartbeat, but she heard the water more now, heard the world that had been so lost on her. There was the clear, soft sound of some ethereal bell and the rush of wind- _release._

The agony and torture tearing her apart suddenly broke off into nothing but a deep ache, and she felt the breath she let out, cold and chilly- the air fogging with it as her hand plunged into the water all the way.

_W...what....?_

Juvia's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat as she watched the strange woman's eyes- gold and dull and unfocused suddenly _change._

Hora's eyes glowed a sudden, eerie icy blue color and she felt a sudden rush of cold air suddenly cut through the area that had been smoldering and heavy to breathe. The water around Hora's hand shuddered, the deep blue ripped apart as blinding, sheer white and pale blue rippled out from her fingers and through every scrap of liquid water in seconds- and in seconds it was no longer liquid.

The water halted, shimmering in wet and glittering as the air clouded in frost and snow- the water dome that had been converging to trap Hora was now suspended in air as nothing but a mass of-

"I-ice...?!" Juvia stammered breathlessly, her words cutting off as she recoiled.

The suspended reality of time and movement and Magic shattered in the next instant, the ice moving fast and growing out passed where her water had been- alive and moving all of it's own volition as huge spires and pillars of it grew out of the air and the ground, headed straight for her.

"Ice-Make: Sword!"

The river of gleaming white ice that had been streaming out toward Juvia was suddenly cut apart and obliterated completely. Chips of ice and frost glittering in the moonlight, Gray planted in front of Juvia and hands clasped around a sword made of his own Ice Magic- and not three feet in front of where Hora had come to a slightly dazed halt.

The icy blue color of her eyes faded as she looked around the sudden flurry of glinting, soft pieces of chilly cold falling through the air all around them, her vision unblurring only slightly and her ears ringing with the sound of air and frost and... snow.. _. ice...._

_D...did I just...?_

Her hand fell slowly, time suddenly freezing again as the air had in a sudden surge of Magic no one was ready for- and in her searching dazed attention around the Magic she found the one who'd destroyed it, ice clashing with ice, and she froze, her deep blue gaze matching with one of near the same hue.

_W-wait...._

A young man, older than her, a head of black hair and chest bare- holding tight to a sword of ice and the blue Fairy Tail emblem plastered to his chest. Bits of snow and frost fell against the silver necklace around his neck, his eyes locked with hers, his expression tense and distrustful, his jaw tight, his.. he....

_.... n...no.... i... it can't....._

She was completely paralyzed for the second time that night, she couldn't breathe and she didn't even care to- her fractured and splintered mind, body, soul and emotions were shattered still, and that made it.. this....

Her life, her years, the last few months, days... _today,_ all of it had been a storm, all of it spiraling further and further into insanity and _this...?_

_Impossible.... r...right...?_

_But.... but... he.... he looked.... alm... ost...... exactly.... t...the same......?_

Older, stronger, angry... but that... that face... those eyes....

_N..no...._

_How long....?_

_It can't...i..it...._

She felt the tears fall down her cheeks in sheer, fixed, rigid silence and she just stared as her world fell apart further than it already had. And her heart fell apart with it... so much she wouldn't ever be able to pick the pieces back up again, not after all that happened, not after being taken, not after that pain, not after she'd... not after....t..this...

_It can't be.... h.. how could it... ever....?  
_

But she couldn't think her mind was playing tricks on her.... she couldn't think she was seeing things... not even as her vision started to fade and get swallowed up by black, a wash of it circling in and surrounding the image of him, and still she didn't dare let her eyes break away.

_Impossible.... but....?_

She was falling, her body and her mind failing to keep her attention on him- she just.... she couldn't take it, it was too much, all of it too much...

_...G..Gray...?_

She fell into pitch black, everything silent _,_ falling further and further into that chasm that had been stalking her all day, and yet her descent was the last thing on her mind. _  
_

_H....He's......._ _..... Alive....?_

* * *

 

**Longest Chapter yet! And a LOT of stuff happened! QwQ**

**I hope you enjoyed it none the less! Thank you for your continued support!**

**Please Comment if you can! Thank you~**

 


	25. Breaking Point?

**Chapter 25**

**Breaking Point?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

Sting and Rogue stopped at the head of the lines of their Guild in the Main Hall of the Inn, their eyes cast to the floor and stiff as boards under the piercing and disgusted gaze of Master and Minerva ahead of them. The line that had parted to allow them through closed up as Rufus and Orga came to the front, Rufus feeling Hora brush against his shoulder as she stepped up beside him and they all stopped at the head of the crowd, eyes downcast and expressions tense- everyone was tense. All of them waiting with bated breath and tense shoulders. Lector and Frosch halted in front of Rufus and Orga, their eyes fixed on their Partners.

"Sting, Rogue." Jiemma growled lowly, his tone barely contained distaste and malice, everyone swallowed back at it. Minerva's fingers tapped lightly against her upper arm from having them crossed, her narrowed stare darting among the throngs of lined up Members and lips curling slightly.

"How _dare_ you?" Jiemma growled,

"...we have no words to justify this defeat... Natsu Dragneel overpowered the both us... He was such stronger than anticipated." Rogue murmured quietly, his eyes still trained on the floor and not daring to glance up. Beside him Sting tensed, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Tch... Are those the words of Members of the strongest Guild?" Jiemma hissed, they tensed as he stood up from his chair, knocking aside the goblet of drink on the table in front of him with little a care. Jiemma stood up, looming and expression dark as he started to stalk toward the Twin Dragons, and they forced themselves to stay still.

"How _dare_ you show such weakness? How _dare_ you lose to such a pathetic Guild?" Jiemma hissed, halting in front of them and voice raising higher with each question, a vein ticked on his forehead and shaking in rage that was bubbling faster and faster.

"You worthless rats have disgraced the name of the Strongest Guild!"

The air shook as his Magic flared, waves of pure power ramming into both Sting and Rogue and knocking them back, their bodies hitting the floor with painful thuds as they slid and staggered back on to their feet again. Everyone in the rows stiffened against the sudden rise in power and voice, sweatdropping and biting down on their tongues as Sting and Rogue were slammed into by Master Jiemma's fists in the next instant- the large, looming, cruel man shouting now.

"You are not worthy of calling yourselves SaberTooth! Take them off! _Now!"_ Jiemma boomed, his fists slamming into the Twin Dragons again and this time they hit the floor with their already battered bodies, and didn't manage to get up again.

Rufus instinctively cast a glance sideways toward Hora, expecting that same ire and rage in her that had ignited during the Naval Battle- and very much concerned she planned to step in now. He wouldn't blame her if she did, and in fact a part of him wanted her to- because of anyone in this Guild, Hora was the only one he could imagine would step up, even if it were ill-advised. She contended with, and reigned victorious over a Demon of Zeref all on her own- she had the strength to stand against Master, and his daughter... And lately, for the first time in the years that Rufus remembered, she had the heart and determination too.

Rufus' eyes shift sideways slowly, only to stiffen when his eyes lay on the person beside him- and it was _not_ Horatia.

The blonde man sweatdropped, his head turning a bit more in the direction and searching the people to his left quickly and quietly for any sign of that familiar multicolor hair. When he didn't find her he glanced over his shoulder and still found no sign of her again, and his nerves started to rise out of his usual cool and calm. Rufus glanced right and toward Orga, and his head tilted forward to peer around the larger man- perhaps he'd made a mistake and Hora had moved to stand on Orga's shoulder and not his own..?

And yet there was no sign of her there either, and Orga glanced down at Rufus when he noticed him looking, and what seriousness and confusion was spreading on the blonde's face. Not unwarranted, given how angry Jiemma was and his already harsh treatment against Sting and Rogue- but it was instantly clear to Orga that Rufus was not paying attention to them at all. He looked like he was... Looking for someone..?

Orga's face fell as a bead of sweat fell down his cheek, his eyes casting furtively around him and the crowd too when it dawned on him that something was missing from this picture.

"Eh...? Where the hell did she...?" He mumbled under his breath,

Jiemma was still advancing on Rogue and Sting even with Rufus and Orga's distraction, the man bearing down on Sting as the White Dragon Slayer struggled to push himself back up from the ground, but he was too hurt from his fight with Natsu and getting hit by Jiemma wasn't helping anything. His eyes snapped up as Jiemma advanced toward him, glittering as small flickers of fear passed across his expression no matter how hard he tried to hide it, or how bad it would end for him if Master noticed the weakness.

"Remove your Guild Marks, losing trash do not deserve to wear them!" Jiemma hissed, his footsteps heavy over the ground as he halted not a few feet from Sting- halting when an unexpected voice shattered the communal silence of the watching Guild.

"B-But Master, both Sting-kun and Rogue-kun did their best...!"

The whole Guild stared, their breath's catching in their throats as Lector stepped forward and turned Master's attention on him instead of on Sting. The red Exceed was trembling from head to toe, but he forced a smile anyway and addressed the rage-filled, massive man- Jiemma's dark gaze shifting toward Lector and glowering.

"L-Lector..." Sting hissed breathlessly, his heart skipping a beat.

"T-this time they lost, but I'm still proud of them... I think people can get even stronger after a defeat. Sting-kun definitely learned a lot during this fight, a-and Rogue-kun too! They'll be even stronger after this..!" Lector mewed, his voice trembling slightly but keeping up his composure none-the-less. Sting and Rogue's expressions softened a little at the words, sweatdropping more when they rang familiar as to what Hora had said not long before.

_"Losing isn't a crime. And don't worry about not beating Salamander... even if you don't match up now, you will- I know you'll be stronger than him and Gajeel some day. Don't doubt it."_

Jiemma's dark gaze landed on Lector, silent and leering for a few seconds as he regarded the Exceed coldly, and Lector shivered under the stare.

"Who the hell are you?" Jiemma growled lowly, Lector blinked, looking confused. He hesitated for a minute, before smiling nervously and twisting slightly as he lift his shirt to lay clear view of the Guild Mark stamped across his back.

"Ah Master, you know.. I-I'm a Member too, I have the Guild Mark and everything.." Lector replied shakily, Jiemma's brow raised at the answer for a few seconds, before his brow knit and his expression darkened into something so heart-stoppingly malicious, Lector paled and so did everyone else.

"Why is an _animal_ bearing the Guild Mark of SaberTooth?" Jiemma growled dangerously, Lector recoiled at the sneer, shaking more now. Jiemma's hand lift as his palm pointed at Lector, Sting scrambling on to his knees and panic ramming into everyone in the room.

"Vanish!" Master boomed, pulsing waves of Magical Pressure suddenly filling the room as his Magic amassed before his hand- and struck out toward a paralyzed Lector in all but three seconds.

"Lector!" Sting yelled, still struggling to get on to his feet but he was too slow- his eyes locked with Lector's terrified gaze, the Exceed being lost from sight in a blinding white ball of sheer power.

"S-Sting-kun..?" Lector stammered, his voice fading into nothing as he faded into nothing too- the Inn booming with the force of Jiemma's Magic and leaving no trace of the Exceed.

Lector was obliterated in three seconds, with not a single trace of him left.

All eyes in the Guild were fixed, all of them staring, disbelieving and terrified.

_Master... he just... killed...?!_

_N-no...!_

Rogue hissed, pushing his beaten body up and rushing to snatch Frosch up in his arms- guarding him from Jiemma's view lest the man decide to enact his wrath on the small, green Exceed. That Exceed that was trembling just as badly as Rogue was himself, his eyes locked on Master and terrified of what else he planned-

_L..Lector...!_

He felt the stinging sensation of tears in his eyes, his heart shattering in an instant- so, so painful and yet it was nowhere near what Sting felt in that moment.

Sting felt his heart shatter into a _million_ pieces, agony and heartbreak racing through him and sending every nerve alight in the most unbearable pain- his lungs aching for air he couldn't take in, they were shaking and shuddering too much, the tears already flooding form his eyes and down his cheeks. His jaw snapped shut, a sob rising up his throat that he didn't dare think of quieting, his hands balled into fists and shaking as he sat on his heels.

_N-no... n...no...no...!_

There was a hole suddenly ripped into his soul that couldn't be filled, and the ache and pain of it had the tears streaming faster and his voice loud and shaking- his head tilting back and his voice cracking as he sobbed openly for the first time in too long a time- and the first time he ever dared in front of that man... that man who...

_...H..he killed... L...lec..._

"LECTOR!" Sting yelled, his voice painful to hear and the sheer despair in it striking the Guild through the heart,

_It... it finally... Master finally went... that far...?_

_This... this isn't right..._

And yet they'd all never been more terrified of the man, than they were in that instant.

_Master_ _**killed** _ _Lector_

Jiemma turned on the wailing and crying form of Sting, his lips pulled into a sneer and all the more enraged by the open show of weakness and emotion.

"Quit with your blubbering, filth!" Jiemma boomed, his voice raising above Sting's sobbing as the SaberTooth Guild Master scowled. Sting was staggering, shaking as he held his head in his arms and pulled himself to his feet- lopsided and hardly standing as he kept crying, and breaking.

"H... How could you...?" Sting hissed, "H...How _could_ you.. do that...?!"

"ENOUGH! IT WAS JUST A STUPID CAT!"

Of all people, of all the times that they'd watched Master submit his authority (cruelty) over the Guild... Of all times they watched and they submitted, and of all times all of them sat back and did nothing... The first time someone did anything, for the _first time_ \- the one to finally snap was not who anyone expected to.

_Sting snapped_

It was a rush, all of SaberTooth watching in transfixed shock and horror, all wide eyes and veins turning ice- all rigid and not daring to breath as Sting launched forward toward their 'Master' in all his pain and rage and heartbreak. The White Dragon Slayer swung out, his Magic blazing faster and stronger than ever before and ruled by what wrath he held now toward the _bastard_ of a man who dare end the life of that Exceed he had called friend and Partner since he was a _kid_. His fist swing forward in a blaze of blinding white as he made contact with Jiemma's torso, and a beam of sheer, unrelenting force ran straight through that man who had dared to ever lay a finger on anyone in that Guild. His Magic tearing a whole straight through Jiemma's body like it was little but paper, blood spurting into the air as Jiemma was thrown back and coughed up that sticky crimson liquid- that same liquid he had brought to bear in all of those watching when he enacted 'judgment'.

That same man who had beaten them, harmed them, oppressed and _abused_ them for so, so long and was never challenged- that man hit the floor with a heavy thud, his blood pooling underneath him and defeated in the matter of a few seconds by someone who had always bowed underneath him. Years of being helpless and submissive, years of feeling trapped and being scared to even speak for what that man would do to them- _years_ of being so terrified of that man they allowed themselves to endure everything... Terrified of that man who was beaten in a _single second_ by _one_ person.

That man they allowed to mistreat them for so, so long out of fear... That man who couldn't move, his chest a bloody mess and gasping for air- powerless.

That man destroyed... And that easily...

_...h...how... How could he have ever been... stopped... T...that easily...?_

_How long did we..._

The assembled members of Fiore's #1, and strongest Guild- the glorious, powerful Guild SaberTooth that was known and feared by all- that Guild was still and silent, paralyzed _all of them_... And that Guild wasn't able to move for their shock and their terrified stupor, all minds racing and thoughts running a million miles an hour- they couldn't _fathom_...

_How... How many times did we think it...?_

_Hope and plead... And wish it...?_

_All of this... That Jiemma... Needed to be stopped...?_

_And... J... Just like that...?_

_How could it... How could it have been that_ **_easy_ ** _...?_

Minerva's lips pulled into a small, wicked little smile as her hands fell on her hips- uncaring of the sound of her father's wheezing breaths, or the way in which the Guild seemed frozen.

"Very good." Minerva hummed, her voice easily breaking the silence as the Guild's eyes snapped toward her, a flash of fear running through them all. Her eyes however, were only on Sting- and he stared, sweatdropping heavily. "It seems the opportunity has arisen to put an end to my Father's reign of terror." Minerva announced coolly, not a hint nor shred of remorse or concern for said _Father_ currently bleeding out on the floor. "And since it is clear that Sting's power has surpassed him, he will be a worthy candidate for the next Guild Master."

A shocked ripple rung out among everyone at the words, none of them sure of what they were hearing or what exactly Minerva was planning so suddenly- Sting paled a bit at the announcement.

_Him...? As... As Guild Master...?_

"M..minerva... What are you...?!" Jiemma wheezed, trembling and trying to push himself up from the floor- but his body would not listen. Minerva's cold gaze landed on her Father, expressionless and unfeeling.

"Silence, we have no use for losers- as according to your logic." Minrrva replied coldly, Jiemma scowled, blood dripping passed his lips as his jaw clenched.

"You... Little...!" Jiemma growled, but Minerva simply blinked. She did not seem to care when Jiemma raised a hand from the floor, smeared in his own blood and trembling- Minerva waved a hand at him dismissively, and turned to Sting again. Rogue's eyes flicked feverishly between the stumbling and struggling Jiemma and Minerva, wary of both and not sure what to make of... any of it.

"Sting, Natsu Dragneel has something you do not." Minerva murmured lowly, Sting swallowed. "What they call the Power of Feelings... It is a Power you have never used, while my Father has ruled this Guild. By his order to stay from showing any weakness or emotion to anyone else, you have been cut off from this Power- the very Power that makes you stronger than even Natsu Dragneel." She smiled, her eyes glittering as Sting stiffened. "Your feelings for Lector will be what allows you to surpass him."

"... Tch..."

Rogue's suspended attention on Minerva got torn away when he heard Jiemma cough, not a single person paying that man any mind what with Minerva suddenly taking charge of the situation. Rogue's eyes flashed, narrowing to slits and stiffening on instinct as he watched Jiemma's hand lift of the floor, a blood-red Magic Circle appeared over his palm, before his fist closed around it, starting to break it apart as if it were solid matter. Faint noise of something like glass shattering started up, so low and so quiet Rogue even hardly heard it... But what Magic was that...?

Sting's eyes dropped, swallowing back what lump was in his throat and the tears starting anew. "M..my Lady... I...I..." He stammered, Minerva's smiled twisted a little, sly and wicked cunning.

"Lector is alive."

Sting froze, his eyes snapping open wide and trembling as the words hit hard- _what...?_

Rogue's eyes snapped toward Minerva again in shock, his heart jumping at the words- _how...?!_

"I sent him to another place with my Magic." She explained, Sting swallowed- his heart sailing and sinking all at once from the kindness of Minerva who... Who was _never_ kind.

And that smile on her face, it was wicked, amused... _Dangerous_.

"And your precious cat will be returned to you, only after you have proven to me you are worthy of leading this Guild." Minerva murmured lowly, Sting swallowed. "I am different from my Father, I do not care where your Power comes from, only that you are Powerful. But I still believe SaberTooth need remain the Number 1, at _all_ costs."

It felt like a sharp sword of ice ran through the hearts of every Saber Member, their countenance wilting under that deadly stare from the Lady... The Daughter of the man they had been abused by... The woman who had always abused them.

_Even with Jiemma gone...w...we..._

"You can have Lector back, after SaberTooth wins the Grand Magic Games." Minerva growled, her eyes flashing as Sting's breath hitched a little. "Now don't try anything rash, remember that Lector's life is in my hands."

_Hostage_

Sting gulped, and Rogue held tighter to Frosch on reaction- afraid for a few seconds that Minerva might snatch Frosch up too and use the Exceed as a tool of fear and blackmail, like Lector.

Sting held Minerva's gaze quietly, the fear and worry clear in his expression and the whole of the Building deadly quiet as she waited for an answer- he had little choice in the matter, and he knew it. Lector's life was on the line and they all knew Minerva was not shy of harming the Exceed should she see need to. She'd do anything to get what she wanted and they all knew that... He didn't have a choice, he had to do what she wanted. _Had_ to win...

... And all of them, they were _still trapped_ , even though Jiemma-

"...tch... Filthy Wretches... The lot of you..."

This time the Guild dared break their attention on Minerva and all eyes snapped warily toward the man still bleeding out on the floor, all of them save Rogue noticing for the first time that Magic Circle he was crushing further in his hand, hearing the noise of it shattering and splintering as Jiemma shot a hate-filled glare at his daughter.

"... You've been waiting... To get rid of me..." He hissed, Minerva crossed her arms over her chest.

"I told you to be silent." She muttered lowly, "Whatever you plan with that Magic, it will do you no good. You cannot attack I, or anyone else here and hope for victory. You are _weak_."

"... Tch... I may die... But I will not allow you filth to take this Guild from me... So easily..." he growled, "... I may not be able to harm any of you... Or take revenge on you, Minerva... But the rest... All of you insects... And you Sting... Rogue... Every one of you... I can still _break_ you."

Rogue felt a wash of icy cold settle over him out of nowhere, his confused, whirling thoughts over everything that had been happening in front of him suddenly swirling inward toward one thing, one realization that finally hit him out of nowhere.

 _Sting_ was the one that snapped, but-

Rogue's head snapped around toward the crowd that made up the rest of the Guild, his heart beating faster and faster with every second. His red eyes locked on to Rufus and Orga, and he didn't find her anywhere- and those concerned, wary gazes he received from both men sent terror racing through him.

"Where's Hora...?!" He hissed lowly, asking the question of them but they shook their heads, and Rogue whipped back around toward Jiemma, his expression nothing but absolute, unyielding fear.

How could he have forgotten about her like that?! And about what Jiemma-!

_"... There's a Lacrima in my chest." Hora whispered, "... it's connected with my Magic... it keeps me alive... and Jiemma's put a Possession Link on it... you can't break Possession Links... they have to be removed by the people who place them... Jiemma's had it on me since he took over the Guild... I can't run, I can't leave... he'll find me no matter where I go..."_

Rogue was getting to his feet, ready to rush forward and do something- anything to stop him from-

Everyone in the room stared at Rogue, sweatdropping heavily when they saw pure terror dawn in him out of nowhere, and they didn't understand why.

_"... he can destroy the Lacrima whenever he wants... with a single thought... and if he does... it'll kill me..."_

"Don't!" Rogue yelled,

Jiemma's hand closed all the way with one sharp sound of that Magic Circle being crushed and shattered like glass, completely broken as bits of blood-red Magic seeped passed his fingers. Rogue felt his heart stop, the tears already falling and hand outstretched, the shattering sound ringing on his ears deafeningly.

"... I'll take that worthless rat with me..." Jiemma hissed, his breath exhaling as a rasp- his hand fell to the ground, limp.

His world was crumbling in over his head as panic and fear raced through him, unending, spine-chilling, sickening- he was hardly standing, he felt faint and ready to collapse. Like he'd been ripped through by a gunshot and every part of him wanted to cease function. And yet he couldn't fall, he couldn't hit the floor and he couldn't stay standing there- adrenaline hit him square on and made his breathing elevate to panicked gasps, Frosch still in one arm and staring up at the Shadow Dragon Slayer in pure fear for how he was reacting so suddenly.

"R-Rogue, what's wrong...?" Frosch mewed, teary eyed and soon crying just like Rogue was so suddenly. It took little time at all for the Shadow Dragon Slayer's behavior to have everyone else on edge too, all of them feeling and confused- and _scared_.

"Rogue, what is going on...?!" Sting snapped quickly, because what in the hell could have Rogue looking so horrified?!

Rogue couldn't form the words- any words, his throat dried up and he didn't even think about stopping, or trying to garner a response- he was already moving.

He had to go, he had to... Had to find her!

_No, no, no, no, no, no!_

"HORA!"

* * *

 

_"B-big... Big Brother?!"_

_She screamed. Screamed in terror and panic as her voice was lost to the roaring of hundreds of frightened and terrified people running around her, the noise of their shouts and their own screams pounding against her ears._

_The whole village was in a complete state of panic, of destruction and disarray... Homes and buildings, all those structures she had come to know by heart- they lay in smoldering ruin around her, flames dancing and rubble thrown all about. Her home was now a mess of destruction, everything looked foreign, she couldn't begin to place where she was- and the mass of running and sprinting people around her on all sides wasn't helping any._

_She looked around wildly, stumbling and tripping in the snow laden and soot covered streets- her toes numb from the icy water seeping into her shoes._

_"Mom?! Dad?!" She yelled, though no one could possibly hear such a small voice, tears welled from her eyes and fell down her cheeks, chest heaving and fighting for air as sheer terror sunk in even deeper in her heart. "Brother?! Please! Where are you?!"_

_She was alone... She was lost... Her family..._

_There were bodies. People from the village, broken and bloody... Crushed under the fallen buildings. Torn apart by the rubble. Burned from the fires... People were dying and lay all around her. Death hung in the air... It..._

_It was a massacre._

_She was trembling in her fear, her young heart hardly able to take such violence and death.. She'd never see this before, and she never should have. Such a thing as this... It was awful, it was horrifying, and among the roars of the beast and the screaming of the people around her- she was alone and lost._

_All she wanted... Was her family..._

_But... There were so many people dead. Her heart stopped to think that maybe... Maybe... Her family was dead too._

_The emptiness growing inside of her deepened, cold and rotting... She had never felt more alone, and her tears started to stream faster, blurring her vision as she stumbled about._

_"MOM?! DAD?!" She yelled, voice shaking and tripping, the large and daunting form of the creature blurred from the salty wetness clouding her eyes. She stumbled and fell, the snow and icy cobblestone underfoot rushing up to meet her small body with a painful thud._

_"B-Brother!" She gasped, she just wanted... Wanted someone..._

_Her eyes moved from the blackened ice and snow, upward as she felt a massive shadow loom over her. Her wide and terrified gaze moved up to see the Beast standing before her, so massive it was it blocked out the sky._

_Its cold eyes glittering in animalistic rage and malice, her heart stopping and ice running through her veins as she simply remained motionless. She was too terrified to move, or even cry out as one of its clawed hands lift- sharp claws glinting in the fire light._

_She was going to die..._

_It swiped downward, she lift her arms as her eyes shut right in terror- the beasts hand catching her small body and tearing open her skin and muscle and bone with one of the wicked claws, her blood flying into the air and staining the snow- just as hundreds of different scarlet pools already were. The agony that swept through her was gut-wrenching, her vision went black and red at the pain of it tearing across her being, as she was sent flying- her scream of utter pain tearing at the air and her throat._

_She fell abruptly silent as she slammed into the ground, bones cracking. She rolled, coming to a halt, unmoving, unbreathing... A large, deep pool of crimson surrounding her body, the wound deep, bone showing through the shredded skin._

_She couldn't even hear the screaming anymore, she couldn't open her eyes... She couldn't even wince at her pain... She was just... Falling... Alone..._

_My... Family... My_

_... My... brother...?_

... _She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava._

_Arden was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding..._

_... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go. She wanted to be let go._

_And for what? What the hell was all this... All this pain and sheer agony, the suffering and the torture for anyway? Why was she being forced to endure it?_

_... The reason... It... It was impossible... She couldn't..._

_... Deliora... It... It killed everyone... But me..._

_... R... Right...?_

_N...no... That... That's..._

_"... it's the same with Sherry, Tobi and Yuka as well. That Demon destroyed everything we had, we were left alone... I was fortunate enough to be taken in by the woman who taught me my Magic, others were less lucky." Lyon sighed slightly, that haunted look coming back into his eyes a moment as memory seemed to flood his mind._

_"... The Demon Deliora. It destroyed our lives, yes... But now it can no longer harm anyone, my Mentor- Ur, she defeated it..."_

_L...lyon said... He... He survived... When Delioria... B... But... My home... My family... They couldn't have..._

_"... I was really, really young... When Deliora destroyed my village, and my family."_

_I was a fucking kid and... A..and..._

_"...I got out," her grip on her arm tightened a little, her eyes trailing along the long and deep scar._

_"... Barely."_

_There was no way... right...?_

_There can't be any way... H... How many years has it been...?_

_Ho... How long and... I... I always...H...he had to be... There... Is no... Way..._

_... ho... how could he...?_

_She felt cold and hot all at once, her body shaking without her consent. Her head was in a haze and her eyelids felt heavier than she could ever remember them being. She shuddered involuntarily, her breath catching in her throat as she coughed faintly._

_The room was dim around her, and stagnant. She could scarcely see the ceiling above her, if not for the small, faint sliver of light that managed to make it past the edge of the curtains. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she had. She'd been moving in and out of wakefulness for hours, flitting between feverish reality and swirling, nonsensical dreams._

_She felt something squeeze around her fingers gently, her eyes trailing sideways from the roof toward that young little boy at the bedside._

_Brother..._

_He was fast asleep, his head resting in his crossed arms on the bedtop- one hand extended just slightly so he could keep holding her hand in his. His fingers twined between hers and limp in his sleeping, yet they still kept locked together._

_She blinked, her eyes falling halfway as the haze lifted just enough- she remembered waking up earlier too, and remembered hearing his voice mixed with that of their parents._

_"..b-but... I wanna help..."_

_"... Love, the only thing we can do is let her sleep."_

_"... Once she rests, the fever will pass and she will be alright.."_

_"... I..."_

_"..hmm, I know you want to help her feel better, love..." That was her mother's voice, she sounded sympathetic, and warm._

_"... You know what? Sit with her, keep her company. I'm sure that will help her feel better." And that was her Father, a bit louder, but no less warm._

_"..y-yeah!" Her brother sounded a little happier with that, he liked that idea- mostly because then, he would be doing something. "... I-i can tell her a story, if she wants...! Or just stick around, so she's not all alone when she's sleeping..!"_

_"Great idea." Mother and Father said all in unison._

_Her mind was slipping back into the deep, dark depths again as she heard feet move down the hallway outside the door._

_She must have fallen asleep before he made it inside, but he'd stayed anyway..._

_She squeezed his hand back faintly, sighing as her eyes fell closed again._

_... I... am I dreaming...?_

_D... did any of... that...?_

_It was flooding back, memories and images and thoughts of a time and a town and people she had tried so hard never to think back on- because remembering them would break her, all over again._

_And what spurred it? Out of nowhere as she floated in a sea of cold and black with the visions swimming by sickeningly fast, and falling over her mind that was already shattered and whirling?_

_Impossible... Insanity_

_"Oi! Where do you think you're going?"_

_She huffed, her fists clenched at her sides and casting the taller boy an annoyed glare as he blocked her way. There were other children behind him, watching them warily and snickering to themselves as she was denied passage through the gate._

_"We ain't letting a little brat like you play." The boy growled, she frowned at him, her eyes flashing as she shifted- her feet crunching the snow underfoot._

_"Why not?" She shot back, "I really wanna play with you guys, please?"_

_"Hell no. You're too little, you'll ruin everyone's fun." He shot back, she huffed._

_"I'm not that little! I know all the rules and I can keep up really good too!" She argued, the older boy let out an aggravated growl, a sneer on his face as he shoved her back a little and she stumbled, trying to stay on her feet an managing it- barely._

_"We're not gonna babysit you! We don't want you, so just go away!" He snapped, she bit back the aggravated growl rising in her throat as she simply glared at him._

_"Why are you such a jerk?!" She whined,_

_"Why are you so annoying?! Leave!" He snapped, stepping back and hand finding the gate as he slammed it shut in front of her face, she stumbled back to avoid getting hit and ended up slipping. She landed hard in the snow, yelping a little as she heard the other (older) kids all laugh at her,_

_"What a baby!"_

_"Run home to mommy and daddy!"_

_They were walking away, leaving her sitting there in a drift of snow and ice and her clothes stuck with bits of it everywhere. She huffed, her blue eyes glittering and anger bubbling up in her core quicker than ever-_

_She stomped to her feet, sweeping up a wad of snow and ice in hand as she pound it into a ball- and launched it with all her might at the back of the older boy's head._ _The ball hit his skull with an audible thud and he doubled over, holding his head and letting out a pained yell- the other kids around him gasping and staring in shock at what happened, she let out a hot breath as she stood there still._

_"Serves you right!" She yelled, earning all of their eyes and his as his shocked expression pulled into anger and disgust._

_"You little brat! You're gonna pay for that!" He snapped back, stumbling in his haste as he suddenly spun around and started running back toward her- and she gulped._

_Oh no_

_She whipped around, running off in the opposite direction as fast as her legs could carry her, panic rushing through her body and hearing him yelling still behind her and the sound of his feet in the snow getting closer. Her feet were slipping in the snow and she was stumbling as much as she was keeping ahead, but not for very long- his legs were longer than hers, and no matter how fast she was, she wasn't fast enough to get away or stay away for very long._

_She hissed, her movement halted and her head yanked back as the boy gripped tightly to her hair and stopped her. Pain stretched up through her scalp and her neck, her feet skidding as she lost balance and that boy pulled her up from the ground by her hair roughly, her toes barely brushing the ground at all- before he knocked her down and pushed her face first into the wet, slush covered street. Her clothes got instantly soaked and the chill moisture splashed against her face as she coughed, struggling and wiggling even as the boy held tight to her hair and pinned her down with his more massive weight and strength._

_"G-get off of me..!" She snapped,_

_"Not until I pay you back for throwing that thing at me!"_

_"You deserved it!" She retorted, he pushed her chin into the snow further._

_"Shut up!"_

_"HEY!"_

_Her head got yanked back and up and she yelped, but the boy's grip in her hair got released and his weight on top of her disappeared. The boy grunted, growling and grumbling as he was hoisted off roughly and hit the snow with a thud, scrambling to his feet and not at all pleased._

_"You wanna fight too?!" The boy snapped hotly, his eyes blazing as his gaze landed on the other, slightly smaller boy that had pulled him off of her and tossed him. She blinked, rolling over and shivering from the cold already as she saw him step between her and her pursuer, blocking her from the other boy's view._

_Brother_

_"Just leave her alone," her Brother grumbled, "If you don't leave now, I'll_ _**make** _ _you leave."_

_Kids can be cruel sometimes... huh...?_

_Her Brother earned a black eye for his efforts, but he drove the bully off regardless (sending that boy home with a rather heavily bleeding nose, actually)... and then helped pick her up out of the snow and the water, holding her hand and sticking close as they headed home._

_"Were you scared?"_

_"No!"_

_"Heh, then why are you crying?"_

_"He was pulling on my hair, and it really hurt!"_

_"Haha... you're not scared of a lot of things, are you?"_

_"Nope!"_

_... if only that were still true..._

_"Geez you're annoying!"_

_"So are you!"_

_"Stop pulling!"_

_"You stop pulling!"_

_They were tugging on eachother's hair, lips pulled into frowns and tempers on an all time high as they shot back angry words and yells of annoyance, tugging harder and harder and trying to one-up the other... some argument, about something- she couldn't remember anymore. They were on the floor, rolling around and squirming- sticking feet and hands in mouths and against faces trying to get free or just annoy- anything, they were just too focused on fighting they didn't care what for or how ridiculous it was getting._

_It was always like that, sometimes they got along just perfectly, sometimes they simply tolerated eachother- sometimes he was so, so gentle with her and sometimes they were so rough. They fought with one another just as quickly as they made up, and cooperated- sometimes partners in crime and other times mortal enemies... behavior that was much to their Parent's dismay (and exasperation), she was sure._

_They were both broken apart and hoisted up by their ankles from strong hands, their Father letting out a weary sigh as their Mother shook her head._

_"Both of you, cut it out!"_

_... she remembered some of it... but not a lot of it. She had just been so young and so small... There was some things that stuck, like that bully, that stupid fight... his hand in hers when she was sick, things like that._ _And then there were a lot of small, little things that didn't last very long. A few moments eating dinner with all of them, going outside to watch the snowfall- leaning over her Mother's shoulder to watch her cook... standing to the side and watching in awe and the utmost intrigue with her Brother at her side as their Father told some fantastical, silly little story._

_But all of those things faded and distorted over time, and she buried most all of it... the things that stuck most, and that remained as clear as the day they happened?_

_They were all so, so bad... she lost them. All of them... they all died..._

_...b..but..._

_... I was supposed to die, I wanted to die... I lived because... because Arden did that... forced that on me... forced me to live... t..through..._

_... Arden forced that wild, insane Magic into her- forced it to burn the wound closed, forced it to mark across every inch of her body and her soul and claim her, the pain was enough to kill anyone, the Magic was too strong, too jagged and much too uncontrolled- it was burning her alive from the inside out. She thrashed and kicked up blood-colored snow, screamed and kicked and pleaded and cried, her voice breaking, shrieking even long after her throat filled with blood and the taste of something burning sour... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go._

_... she started to burn, the black running up her body and strangling her- that dirty, blood matted raven hair turning orange and red and all colors it should never have been. The rest of her body started to blister and break under the fire consuming her, eating her... killing her, and still she tried to pull away. Her mouth filled with blood and ash and fire and she felt her lungs burning away inside her chest,_

_She was a fucking kid... a_ _**kid** _ _for fuck's sake... a little girl that was twitching, her body falling apart and melting from the inside out and all will to fight outwardly lost- if only her mind and her heart had failed so quickly, she still felt it... felt every single second of it._

_His hand shot forward, the stone still gripped tightly as he plunged his hand through the center of her chest, ribs breaking and what charred mess of her lungs was left- they were forced apart as he stuck his entire fist inside her body, moving organs and bone and leaving a giant, nestled hole for that stone to set. Her skin, and her body, covered head to foot in pitch, jet black- a pulse of blue raced from where his hand remained lodged inside her chest, and she felt like her heart had been ripped in two._

_Her body felt like it had been drowned in lava suddenly felt like it had been ripped in half, melted back together, then cut into hundreds of pieces... and then melted again, over and over it when from blinding burning pain to mind shattering cold, it lasted years, it lasted too long and she felt her mind breaking under it all just as her body shattered with it._

_Arden ripped his hand back out from her body again, leaving the stone as his breaths shuddered to a close. His yellow eyes dulling to grey and all light gone as his hand fell limp from having been holding to her so tightly, his face falling as a ghost of smile remained etched into his face forever more._

_She was writhing around in that blood soaked snow and ice, screaming and fidgeting for hours, her body destroying itself, burning itself, and then slapping itself back together- the flames raged and then died, and then raged again and it was a fate worse than death... she wanted to die, she screamed and pleaded and wished she would- begged. And the pain still kept on-_

_... she should have died... she only lived because of that... she'd been forced to live through all of that... she survived, but she would have rather died..._

_... She'd been so broken, when she woke up... Found him, Arden... Dead and smiling still.. She was alone then, confused and trapped in a body now ruined by some evil, foul Magic she had known nothing of. She'd been confused, alone, hurt, and so afraid...plagued and eaten alive ever since by a Magic so dark and so twisted... a Magic that made her a Monster..._

_If she'd only survived that... by enduring hell and back... there never could have been any way... no one else could have been alive... she didn't dare hope they were- because what hell would they have gone through to stay breathing? How could she_ _**fathom** _ _anyone surviving that massacre and not being forced to live through some torture or cruelty like she had to stay alive?_

_If living meant going through even a fraction of what she'd been forced to... n...no... just... no!_

_What did that mean then...!?_

_What happened, what did he live through... if he really...?!_

_... h... how can he be...?!_

_... Her hand fell slowly, time suddenly freezing again as the air had in a sudden surge of Magic no one was ready for- and in her searching dazed attention around the Magic she found the one who'd destroyed it, ice clashing with ice, and she froze, her deep blue gaze matching with one of near the same hue._

_W-wait..._

_A young man, older than her, a head of black hair and chest bare- holding tight to a sword of ice and the blue Fairy Tail emblem plastered to his chest. Bits of snow and frost fell against the silver necklace around his neck, his eyes locked with hers, his expression tense and distrustful, his jaw tight, his.. he..._

_... n...no... i... it can't..._

_She was completely paralyzed for the second time that night, she couldn't breathe and she didn't even care to- her fractured and splintered mind, body, soul and emotions were shattered still, and that made it.. this..._

_Her life, her years, the last few months, days... today, all of it had been a storm, all of it spiraling further and further into insanity and this...?_

_Impossible... r...right...?_

_But... but... he... he looked... alm... ost... exactly... t...the same...?_

_Older, stronger, angry... but that... that face... those eyes..._

_... it_ _**had** _ _to be, but it_ _**couldn't...!** _

_There were emotions racing through her that she didn't have names for, nor the force of will to even begin to pick apart- all of it! It was just... TOO MUCH_

_Too much that grew to a hundred times too much when those memories and those thoughts got mixed in with everything else... everything flooding back like a ferocious, thundering tsunami bearing down on her head._ _It was a rush, blurred and messy and distorted and... pain, she had been in agony-_

_\- someone... somebody had taken her, said things, things that didn't make sense... their lips pressed to hers, a voice so dead, familiar and twisted and a scent-_

_\- he said I was going to die... he... he knew... that Jiemma... Jiemma-_

_Everything, all of it so much and tearing her to pieces, sending her emotions flying and she couldn't control any of it._

_WHAT IN THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!_

The darkness got torn apart in a blinding array of blurred, fuzzy, and a head-achingly disorienting array of color and scents and sounds that rammed into her frenzied mind like a train. She jolted upward, shaking and heaving as pain raced through her center and chest at the same time her stomach flipped in a bout of nausea it almost made her gag. She sucked in a deep breath, only she ended up coughing- though even that hardly stopped her as she scrambled into a sitting position, her head snapping this way and that in sheer panic and confusion as she tried to make sense of a world swimming in her eyes. She was coughing and sputtering, hardly able to take any air in and her body shaking so, so terribly- sitting up was hell and she scrambled backwards in haste away from someone's hand on her shoulder.

_Who in the fuck-?!_

"Woah, woah- wait a minute Hora...!"

A firm get gentle hand fell against her back and another caught her wrist with ease as she swung up in blind reaction. Hora blinked furiously, panting and wheezing as she did her best to make sense of the voice and that blurry figure (of several, frighteningly..!) in front of her, and just who in the hell was touching her.

"Hey, calm down-" that voice went on, urgent and tense.

"You really shouldn't move so much just yet...!" A different, softer voice said this time- but she was focused on the first, with how much her ears were ringing and the sound of her sputtering and gasping was to her- it was hard enough picking apart one voice, let alone two... But maybe it did sound a little familiar.

She sniffed, a flood of things filling her nose and all of it overwhelming- but what she latched on to was the familiar smokey scent of ash and ember mixed with something sweet- a same sweet found in a separate smell of fresh, cool air.

"-Hora, hey... Just take it easy for minute, alright...?" The first voice came again, her eyes narrowing as she pulled back at the hand that had grabbed her wrist out of instinct- she was still whirling, and freaking out after all- and it didn't help the hand didn't let go... But her nose couldn't lie, even if the rest of her senses were in too much of a state of disorder.

She swallowed, blinking hard until her vision unblurred enough and she made out the familiar (albeit very strained and concerned... And pale(?)) face of-

"... Natsu...?" Hora breathed, his eyes flashed as she said his name and he saw the recognition dawn in her expression, finally. He nodded stiffly, sweatdropping as his hold on her wrist softened a bit.

"Yeah, it's me." He murmured, she seemed to deflate slightly, sitting on her heels now in the midst of lunging up and struggling to move it get away... Or... Whatever, as she was freaking out the minute she managed any semblance of consciousness. He could feel her trembling under his hands, see the way her body was shaking and even straining as she stayed sitting up- the way her breathing was so harsh and wheezy made his heart twist, and the sheer exhaustion in her face and the sickly pallor of her skin didn't make him relax either.

She was confused, and panicky- and he didn't really blame her, nor was he surprised by it either... Not after everything that had just happened, and what Wendy had been explaining as the Sky Dragon Slayer rushed to heal Hora and fix what it was that had happened to her.

Hora sweatdropped, her eyes glittering as she gulped a little and Natsu leaned in a bit- him being on one knee next to her, and the one hand on her back, steadying her almost.

"Hey, you okay...?" He asked lowly, his eyes searching as she held his gaze for a few seconds, almost dazed- before he saw pain race over her face and she stiffened underneath him.

There was a sharp, agonizing jolt of pain that struck straight through her center out of nowhere, making it hard to breath for a few seconds- and making her double over at it. She coughed, one hand finding the ground to keep herself from falling face first into it and the other one pulling from Natsu's grip to cover her mouth in time to catch what scarlet liquid rose in her throat. It wasn't a lot of blood, but enough she tasted it, and a few splashes of it fell into her palm as she continued to sputter painfully for an agonizingly long minute.

"Hora..!" Natsu hissed, his (suddenly free) hand finding her shoulder to steady her a bit more while the one on her back stayed where it was, his eyes glittering like mad and jaw clenched as he felt her shudder and cough underneath him. His eyes snapped briefly from her and toward Wendy, who was on her knees in front of the Saber woman now and her hands extending quickly toward her as Wendy's face pulled in concern,

"I'm sorry, but you need to calm down if you can Hora..." Wendy instructed gently, her hands raising in front of her and the light of her Magic glowing anew as her eyes narrowed in concentration. "... There's nothing more I can do, I've healed you as much as I can... I'm sorry, I know you're still in pain..." The small Dragon Slayer murmured, regretfully so, Natsu swallowed a bit.

Hora heard Wendy's voice more clearly this time around, even over the sound of her own breathing as she fought to quiet the coughing even just a little. And she heard the concern in it, and the urgency... And how sorry she sounded when she said that;

'There's nothing more I can do'

_But... but what did you do...? What... What could you do... That I'm not... A... Already... Dead...?_

Hora sucked in a breath of air and held it, forcing her lungs to still for a few seconds and hopefully crush the coughing with it. Doing so made her chest ache terribly, but it was better than gasping and sputtering... Better than hacking up more blood.

_L... Lixue...? Hey... Are you...? Jiemma... Jiemma was... Was destroying you..._

_'... I am alive... Or rather, I am intact... Mostly.'_ Lixue's voice was quiet, and tired- as well as strained... What with all the screaming and roaring he'd been doing. But to be honest, she hadn't expected any answer- how the hell _could_ Lixue answer?

_Y... You can't be... Jiemma... He was doing it, he was killing us... he was breaking you...! And he had all the power to do it, with that Possession Link...!_

_'... That is gone.'_

Hora went very still, the words ringing through her head and all whirling thoughts and subjects crashing to a head on _that_.

_W...what...?_

_'... There are always ways to achieve something... It happened we did not possess the means nor the knowledge between the two of us... But that is not to say someone else hadn't the means to break the Link instead...'_ Lixue mumbled tiredly, _'... I am however surprised... Even being taught by Grandeeney, that child possesses power over Enchantments that should not be possible at such a young age...'_

Hora's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening and locked on the ground as she stayed bent over, her hand still over her mouth and oblivious to anything anyone else said around her- she was only listening to Lixue now.

 _'... I am not unscathed however, Horatia... It will take time for the Lacrima that encases my life-force to heal, and be rid of what damage Jiemma placed upon me.'_ Lixue went on softly, _'... I am weak right now, and the effects I have on combating the Flames are weak for it... Do try and stay as calm as you possibly can... But in the meantime, I will do what you need of me... just be aware we both have a limit, and we will hit it. When that time comes, Over-Drive will be as unforgiving as it was the last time.'_

She swallowed, letting out the breath she'd been holding and panting again- just less raggedy now.

 _'... Likely we would have hit that limit upon waking up now... But I think that will be delayed, given that child has managed to restore a great fraction of our strength regardless of being unable to repair the damage done unto me all the way... we have some time now, before Over-Drive will take firm hold of you... We should use it as wisely as we can manage, hmm?'_ Lixue added in softly, _'March on until we have depleted what strength is between us... Until that limit is reached... and then hope Over-Drive does not prove fatal on this second round...'_ She sweatdropped at that, her stomach churning slightly at the prospect that Over-Drive would get that bad, or even worse than last time...

_... W... Will you really be alright, Lixue...? You.. We were dying... He was tearing you apart- how... How can you be fine...?_

_'... I think I will be alright, in time. You and I are both such better off now than should be possible after all of...that... But do refrain from anything exceptionally brash, will you?'_ He replied easily, _'... You can use my Power as you need, Horatia... I will hold out, but I still caution at least some restraint.'_ She stiffened,

_Use... Your...?_

She didn't wait for Lixue to garner a reply... _Ten years._... Ten years of wishing and hoping that she could-

Her hand fell from covering her mouth, her other one lifting from the ground as she sat back on to her heels a bit more and straightened- and her gaze locked on her hands as she brought them in front of her.

Ten years and so many times she called forth Magic and never... Never ever got what she wished...

* * *

 

_"Not so fast!"_

_A wall of water sprung up, moving into it's liquid state after having previously been ice on the floor- Hora's back slammed into it as she was moving to get out of the way of the Demon's giant claws swinging out toward her. The flames she had let rise up around her hissed and shrunk away from the water she had slammed into hard enough it felt more like rock than water, her right hand instinctively rushing backward to slap against the wall of liquid- only to have her heart drop into the pits of her stomach when she realized_ **_nothing_ ** _happened._

_"S-Shit...!" She stammered, her eyes flicking forward toward those claws getting closer she was struggling to see around the blood that had splashed into her eyes._

_'You forgot...?!' Lixue snapped, slightly exasperated but he sounded more panicked. She felt just as panicked, her Magic blazing brighter, the water hissing and spitting as steam started to encase everything around her. Hora swept her arms up in front of her, her eyes snapping closed on instinct,_

_"Crimson Flame!"_

_Deep scarlet fire sprung up as a wall between herself and the Demon's claws headed straight for her- the contact of them both sending up a wave of explosive force as her Magic imploded against the pure power behind the hit. Hora gasped, the wave of force knocking into her and sending her falling back through the wall of water hard enough she hit the ground and bounced a good hundred feet before stopping, gasping for air and cuts littering various places of her body from skidding so far._

_Better than being impaled though, but that cut that had been sliced across her cheek, over her nose, and down the other cheek just below her eyes, was bleeding and throbbing in pain now, deep and stinging._

_I can't believe... I thought I could... fuck!_

* * *

 

She swallowed, her eyes flashing as they narrowed at her palms- uncaring of the flecks of blood splattered over her skin.

_She slowly drew her hands back up, pressing the sides of them together lightly in front of her chin, palms open to face up as she took in a small breath, her eyes falling closed. She exhaled softly, eyes opening as they glinted with the bright golden and red light of a flame that formed from her breath, the flame licking at the air gently before she sighed, and her Magic faded again._

_... Damn it..._

* * *

 

Ten years trapped and bound and limited... Ten years and now...

_She let out a low breath, every fiber of her being hoping, wishing... yearning... that it came out somehow different from the trembling, shaky, hot breath it was._

_Not what she wanted... never what she wanted._

* * *

 

... A piece of her that been missing was back again... A hole filled somewhere inside of her as she took in a slow, deep breath... A warmth in her soul brought on by something so, blissfully cold...

She brought her hands up in front of her a bit more, that breath she took in halting as she felt her heart skip a beat- and she blew it out.

The air she let out was a cloud, hazy and chill as specks of moisture turned into minuscule shards of frost and fell like a small little snow in the palms of her hands.

Ten years a slave and bound and now...

_...free..._

Her eyes glittered, her face softening as her hands shook a little- the eyes of Wendy, Natsu and everyone else around them had fixed to the flare of Magic she let loose in her hands, transfixed. Hora's focus shifted from her hands toward the young bluenette sitting in front of her, Wendy's eyes wide and awed as she stared at the little spectacle.

"You did it..." Hora murmured softly, Wendy's eyes locking with hers as the older girl suddenly said something. "... You broke the Possession Link..." Wendy sweatdropped slightly and Natsu went rigid beside Hora at the words, his ears ringing and eyes wide at the familiar name.

"... Is that what it was called...?" Wendy murmured, "... I didn't realize... I could just sense there was some sort of Body-Link Magic being used to hurt you, and that I needed to Dispell it, in order to help you..." Wendy explained softly, Hora's eyes flashed as her hands fell slightly. "... I didn't know if I could cast the Spell I did to Dispell it before now, to be honest... It was rather hard... Ah, I also did what I could to heal you, like that wound on your stomach and your cheek, but I can't do much else now... But... Wait... You already knew there was a Body-Link someone else had placed on you...? Why-?"

Wendy got cut off, her words dying in a surprised squeak as Hora suddenly leaned forward toward her, catching the small Dragon Slayer up in her arms and a hug that was rather tight. Wendy went still, her hands raised and stuck in place- unsure of what to do with the sudden hug, and Hora just buried her nose into Wendy's shoulder, holding her even closer and not at all bothered with personal space.

"O-ohh...ah...?" Wendy mumbled nervously, blushing a bit.

" _Thank you_." Hora whispered her words so low and quiet and so sincere, it was almost heart-wrenching to hear. "... I didn't think it was possible... Just... Thank you, Wendy... You have no idea what you just did... you... You did more than save my life... Thank you..." Hora whispered, Wendy's eyes glittered in question and surprise as her hands slowly fell to return the embrace gently.

"... You're welcome... I'm happy I could help you..." Wendy murmured, smiling slightly though still nervous, and a bit embarrassed now. "... I'm glad I could return the favor, I actually wanted to thank you for helping Carla and I, and finding us..."

Hora pulled back, her eyes shinning sadly as she let out a small breath and shook her head a bit. "Sweetheart, you don't have to thank me- especially not now." Hora murmured quietly, Wendy blinked as Hora's hands found either side of Wendy's face and the older woman leaned in, her lips landing lightly against Wendy's forehead in a gentle kiss. Wendy's face turned bright red at the action, the younger girl almost steaming as Hora hummed and pulled back with a sweet smile, her hands leaving from holding on to Wendy.

"You're amazing, sweetheart. I could say thank you a thousand times and it'll never be enough." Hora mumbled, Wendy held both cheeks as she continued to blush like crazy.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" A different voice broke in now, Hora's smile fading to nothing as she finally took note of the other people standing around Natsu, Wendy and herself- and her heart plummeted as her eyes snapped up and met dark blue ones.

In her whirling mind and reality her thoughts had snapped on to what Jiemma had been doing, and if Lixue was okay- that got swallowed up again when it became clear that the Possession Link was gone and that little Dragon Slayer had done what she had long since given up hoping could be done. That relief, astonishment and appreciation that flooded in in all but a few seconds was shattered as quickly as it came- and all of those thoughts and feelings got swallowed up by the fear and the guilt and the sheer, unending, shock and denial that her unconscious mind had been being bombarded by.

And again the only thing in her head was that completely insane and impossible-

_...G...Gray...?!_

Her throat dried up and her whole body froze, her eyes staring and face pulled and twisted and even slightly fearful as she stared at him and what tense, untrusting gaze he had settled on her. Those eyes of his that were the exact same color as hers, that face, that raven-hair... _Him_

There was no doubt it was him, and even though it couldn't be- she couldn't deny it, and she couldn't look away. What small, faint little hope in her head that she might have imagined it? That was broken, gone, swept away and she... She...

_... How can you...?_

His eyes narrowed, suddenly suspicious as she stared at him like he had suddenly grown three heads- because why?

"There something the matter?" He asked curtly, his lips a tight line and Hora swallowed.

"Why are you looking at my Darling Gray like that?" The Water Mage from today- Juvia- suddenly asked too, looking a bit miffed and hands on her hips. Hora's eyes just went wider, ignoring or oblivious of the 'Darling' that came before-

_Gray...!_

_... How... How could I have never known...?! M... My own Brother...?!_

_H... he really is Gray...?! And he's really alive...?!_

_How could he...?! Deliora... The whole Village... And mom... A-and dad...!_

_He got out...?! And all these years... he's been in Fairy Tail...?!_

_Just... WHAT..?!_

She sucked in a breath of air, her eyes flashing and a stinging sensation burning behind them now- there were so many questions running through her head, hundreds and thousands of them and all in rapidity. All them getting closer and pushing passed the haze of shock and improbability until she felt his name rising up her throat, shaking in her tongue and ready to just start blurting all of those thoughts out at once- but a sudden sharp stab of pain in her chest reminded her where she was, what just happened and she stopped herself before ever making a noise.

Shock and fear and guilt and elation and so many hundreds of things and emotions all at once- and she bit back at them. Bit back at those questions and the tears she felt trying to come up, and stopped.

_Jiemma just tried to kill me. I was literally ten seconds away from dying and Wendy saved me... But I got dragged out here in the first place by some mystery figure and I have no idea why... What happened...?!_

What was going on, why had she been dragged out here, why did she suddenly have Jiemma try and kill her...?! There were so many things that had happened in so little time and she had so many questions- and no answers.

... What good would it do to add on all of _that_ now? Ask those questions and pile on the shock and confusion on to him? Why add another round of inquiry and crazy before she had any idea what promoted all the insanity that had just gone on? What good will it do to start all of... Of _that_ , right now?

... It pained her to think it... It hurt like hell to stop herself in that instant... But she had too much going on and that she didn't understand-

She forced her eyes to leave him, hating herself for the way she was reacting and quickly working to erase what distress there was in her now from being visible to anyone else.

_I can't right now... that's a whole shit-storm in itself and I just... Shit!_

Her eyes darted around the rest of the people in that small group in front of her, finding the familiar figures of Gajeel and Juvia, and Happy and Carla... And then back again to Natsu and Wendy... And the last being a black Exceed she didn't know.

_I can't bring all that up right now...! B...because...!_

_What happened at the Guild that...?!_

"Hora, a-are you okay...? Happy mewed shakily, bristling from head to foot and teary-eyed.

"Oi, what is going on...?!" Natsu hissed, his patience running thin and all the thinner with what incredibly odd turn in events and demeanor there was in Hora when Gray said something.

No, not just that- _all of it!_ Between her and dying, what Wendy said and the Possession Link- with SaberTooth's bastard of a Master and off behavior, and on top of that- Lucy and Yukino had been arrested not half an hour before hand! All of it was just too much and he didn't have a will to be patient or calm, or even really to handle all the secrets and the not knowing anymore-

Hora's eyes snapped toward him, sweatdropping heavily as his rigid stare settled on her and he was not pleased- but he also looked like hell...?! Like ready to _keel over_ sort of hell...?!

_... W-wait... Did something else happen...? Why were all of these guys out here to start...? This isn't anywhere near their Inn..._

"Hora! You were _dying_ , you need to tell us what the hell is going on and what the hell just happened?!" Natsu snapped hotly, "And I am _not_ dropping this time! So don't even try telling me that!" She swallowed a bit,

"Indeed, why were you out here to start with?" The black Exceed asked lowly, his paws over his chest and orange eyes level on Hora as she glanced toward him briefly.

"We just went to head with you while you were tearing up the city, the least you can do is tell us what the hell is going on." Gajeel muttered gruffly, "And just who in the hell are you? Salamander and his cat wouldn't tell us a damn thing."

"What's with all the secrets?" Gray muttered lowly, his voice full of not at all hidden suspicion- and so cold it made her heart twist, more when her eyes darted to him again and it took everything in her to ignore the well of emotions that surged.

Secrets?

There were so many of them... more than anyone knew.

"Hora, who put that Possession Link on you?" Natsu asked lowly, saving her gaze getting fixed on Gray again as the pinkette called her attention to him. His voice dropped, low and angry and the glint in his eyes- he already had an idea who, but he needed her to say it. "Who just did all of this to you?"

_I... I don't have time to sit here... And... Explain it to you..._

She felt the urgency and the fear getting worse in her core, the need to leave- to go back and find out... _Why_

Natsu's anger flared when he saw her hesitate- could see the apprehension getting clearer in her face, the need to get away and leave- avoid what he was asking.

"Hora you need to tell me! Friends trust eachother right?! I tried letting it go and doing what you wanted, but I can't! Not when you're getting hurt and not when that bastard is threatening you!" Natsu snapped lowly, Hora sweatdropped a bit more. Hora's hands clenched, her eyes flashing as his hands found her shoulders, his dark gaze steely, searching... Worried.

_He's so wound up... And I get the feeling it's not just because of... Me...?_

_'Indeed, this seems more deeply rooted... Even if that boy does care for you...'_ Lixue murmured, Hora's eyes narrowed. She knew he cared about her, they were friends- and she cared about him... But this was more. More than just her, and that made the sinking feeling in her heart worse.

"What is going on?!" Natsu hissed,

"... Natsu... I can't right now-" Hora mumbled, he shook his head.

"Don't give me that!" He cut her off, she clenched her jaw. "This time you can't avoid it, not when you almost die-!"

" _Natsu!_ " Hora snapped, her tone icy and commanding and his jaw snapped shut in an instant, eyes widening slightly. " _Listen_ to me you big, hyperactive, Flame-for-Brains! I said I can't right now and I _fucking mean it!"_ She snapped hotly, he flinched the slightest bit at how low her tone got out of nowhere. "I don't have time right now, 'what just happened'?! It only happened because something bad happened in my Guild and with my _Family_ , and I _cannot_ sit here arguing with you and wasting time! I have to go and I have to figure out why in the fuck that son of a bitch tried to murder me, and I have to make sure everyone I care for aren't in the same boat!"

The eyes of the rest of the Fairy Tailers were on her, fixed and silent- lost for words and even in all his anger, Natsu was quiet too.

"I am not dropping the subject either, I will tell you what happened, why- _everything!_ But this takes priority, and I will _not_ let you fight me on it!" Hora snapped coldly, he sweatdropped.

"Why would I let you run off to the same guy who just tried to kill you...?!" he argued lowly, she growled.

"Because thanks to Wendy, he has _nothing on me anymore_ , and I'd like to see him fucking try and kill me again." Hora growled, her expression darkening in a sudden rage and malignancy- that same dark in her that had even Natsu's heart skipping a beat, and shivers running up his spine. "I'll be fine, it's him that needs to worry- I'll come back and I will answer your questions, but I am fixing my Guild first. _Got it?"_

Natsu gulped a little, a cold drop of sweat falling down his spine as he matched her gaze- frozen. For someone who had been writhing around in pain and dying ten minutes before- and _still_ looked like hell... She'd never looked more dangerous than she did in that instant.

And still he didn't dare let her run off again- or hold off on explaining... But he hesitated, because no matter how worked up or worried he was about Hora- there was something else that cut deeper in his soul and his heart... And he had to pick.

"... Lucy and Yukino have been arrested for treason by the King's Army." Natsu mumbled lowly, Hora's dark expression breaking in shock as her eyes widened at his words and the sudden change in subject. "They're in prison, and they're supposed to be used in some Project called 'Eclipse Gate'. They're in trouble, and we need to get 'um back."

Hora sweatdropped heavily, her ears ringing and panic sweeping through her all anew.

_Yukino and Lucy...?!_

_Eclipse Gate...?! T-that's what that guy who snatched me was...!_

_Crap... Crap crap crap...!_

_What the hell else is gonna go crazy...?!_

"You can hold off answering my questions, but I'm not letting you handle all of this yourself." Natsu hissed lowly, "I'm coming with you, and then after that I'm kicking some Kingdom ass and rescuin' Luce and Yukino both!" Hora grimaced, a bead of sweat falling down her face as she saw the fire in him burn bright again and continue that way- anger and worry and rage and resolution that became all the more stony when he promised to get back Lucy and Yukino.

He was so, so wound up and she didn't doubt he would blow through any enemy to do what he wanted- but he...

"Natsu you can't rush off and start fights...!" Happy stammered,

"You're barely on your feet as it is, Salamander. Even with eating her fire." Gajeel grumbled, Hora's eyes widened a little at that.

"You really need to rest Natsu-san, or you'll make yourself worse...!" Wendy said quickly,

"Push yourself too far right now and you'll end up with Magic Deficiency Syndrome for certain." Carla huffed,

"And you're going to start a fight with another Guild?" Gray hissed, "Why the hell would you risk that right now?! You know we need to win the Games to get Lucy back! That ain't gonna happen if you get us disqualified!"

"We don't need to win if we rescue her right away!" Natsu snapped hotly, Hora's eyes trailed from the ever more angry look on Natsu's face and toward Wendy, questioning.

"Natsu got all of his Magic drained by the Eclipse Gate just before we found you." Wendy explained to her quickly, "Even if he ate some of your Magic, it still hit him really hard...! And he needs to rest for awhile, or he'll...!" Wendy mumbled, Hora sweatdropped.

_So that's why he looks like hell warmed over...?_

_'Even if he did eat some of your fire while you were rampaging like that, it was too uncontrolled and volatile without my dampening it down.'_ Lixue added, _'Even with his body adapted to eating all types of flame, the sheer energy he would need to use to just keep the ferocity imbued in your Magic from tearing him apart is substantial. What strength he would usually regain from eating fire would have been used up just keeping your Flame from harming him... Eating your fire while it was like that surely did nothing but make him all the more exhausted than when he started.'_

She knew Lixue was right, and though Natsu would never say so- he was feeling like utter crap, and her Fire didn't help. Her eyes dropped closed as she bit the inside of her cheek, Natsu was getting more and more riled up as he settled into arguing back and forth with Gray and Gajeel both. It didn't matter if he felt like shit, he was so damn stubborn...

_... I don't have time, I have to go._

_There's just... So much crazy, all at once._

_... and... Damn it. This is gonna hurt, isn't it...?_

_'Most likely.'_

"Natsu, listen to me." Hora ordered lowly, earning his eyes as his turned toward her again- and he stiffened as her hands found either side of his face, her fingers curling into his hair a bit. "Sorry, but they're right- you look like hell... So just give it a rest, and I promise I'll be back before you know it." His eyes narrowed at her words, his mouth falling and ready to protest- but it was much too late.

_You can be pissed at me later-_

_"Sleep."_

Her dark blue gaze flashed an eerie icy blue as Natsu felt his body get enveloped in sudden cool- his mind near immediately fuzzy and senses drowsy as his eyes dropped against his will. He slumped sideways, tilting over as he lost all sense of the world and Hora eased him onto the ground instead of letting him hit it. She felt the other Fairy Tailers stiffen around her in shock, and Happy had moved up to his Partner in an instant.

"N-Natsu...!"

Hora's eyes closed, her hands retracting back toward herself and one falling on her chest as pain shot through her center in the next instant, hissing under her breath at it.

"What did you do him?" Gajeel huffed, Hora pushed herself up and on to her feet- swaying slightly at first before correcting.

"... Saved you dealing with a rampaging hot-head for a little while..." She mumbled, one eye cracking open to glance toward the Iron Dragon Slayer wearily. At receiving suspicious looks from him, Carla, Gray, Juvia and the black Exceed alike, she sighed.

"... He'll be fine, he's just gonna sleep for a little... It's a simple Spell." She explained softly, "... And look, I understand all of this is... Insane, and the whole thing with Lucy and Yukino makes it worse... And I know the bulk of you don't trust me, that's fine. But I really have to go and settle everything else first... But I will meet you at Honeybone Inn as soon as I am done."

"Why? What's Lucy and Yukino got to do with you?" Gray hissed, Hora swallowed, hesitant to look back at him for fear she couldn't look away.

But the icy tone from him... It hurt, more than she expected.

_Gray..._

"They're my friends." Hora mumbled,

"Hora, are you gonna be okay...?" Happy asked shakily,

"You're still not healed all the way, Hora... I couldn't fix all the damage that got done to you..." Wendy murmured,

"Don't worry about me." Hora murmured softly, "... I have it on higher authority than myself that I have a bit before I really hit a wall... So don't sweat it... I'll see you in a bit... and you might want to tie Natsu up, he won't be pleased when he wakes up."

They didn't get time to wonder on that before they lost sight of Hora completely, a rush of air wafting against them as she left with an insane amount of speed- and much too quickly to see where she went.

She was sprinting through Crocus at breakneck speed, her lungs heaving and aching, and her whole body following suit. She dodged in and out of people, around corners and still pushing herself faster as she continued on toward that Inn on the hill and the place she had been stolen from by some Stranger... Dropped on the other end of Crocus and left to die, when it knew that Jiemma would attempt to take her life.

Dying and in agony as Jiemma used that chain and lock he had to reduce her to a Slave all these years. That Chain and Possession Link on the Lacrima in her chest containing Lixue, his life-force and all his power... Lixue that was essential to keeping the Fires burning from her Devil Slayer Magic in enough control that that Magic didn't rip her to shreds, and burn her from the inside out... And kill her.

Lixue who was essential to keeping her alive... And Jiemma tried destroying him, in order to kill her. Kill her now after so many years and she hadn't the faintest clue why- after Sting and Rogue's loss he would have been mad... But to _kill her?_

She was terrified of the why. Of what was going on and what was happening to them- all of them. While she was away and alone in in the street... dying but saved and freed now by a little Dragon Slayer she had helped not a few days prior.

A little Dragon Slayer who healed that persistent wound in her abdomen from the Demon of Zeref in North Wind- and had done away with the damage done by Jiemma when Natsu confronted him. And now did away with a bulk of what that same bastard had done tonight. Wendy who saved her life, even if she and Lixue knew all too well that the damage done was too much- and eventually they would reach their limit... And Over-Drive would consume her with what was likely to be greater fervor than the last time.

Wendy who was out in the streets and running back to her Guild to tell them what happened- that Lucy, and Yukino with her, had been arrested by the Kingdom for treason, and their lives held for a Project known as the Eclipse Gate. Eclipse Gate mentioned by the Stranger who had taken her... Fairy Tail told to win the GMG to get Lucy back... Fairy Tail...

... The Guild where the Brother she had for so, so long thought dead and destroyed in what massacre had been left by Deliora. Mourned and lost and cried over... Prayed to and asked for help and advice all these years without ever dreaming there could ever be an answer... Or that she would ever seem him again.

Brother who had grown as she had, become a Mage as she had... And joined a Guild... A Guild that was kind and safe.

Brother who she recognized in an instant now and never even caught wind of before- not even as she helped to locate Tenrou Island. Her focus had settled on Dragon Slayers only, and he wasn't one. Though she hated she hadn't...

... Brother who was alive and had friends and a Family as good as Fairy Tail... And Brother who did not recognize who she was, at all.

And she wasn't surprised he didn't- she was drastically different than back then, in almost every way... And why _would_ he even suspect anyway? Even if there was some small thing he noticed? Like her, he'd probably lived his life knowing he'd lost it all, and would never gain it back. There was no way he'd realize, no way he'd guess or even think... She knew that, was unsurprised by that... And that made it easier, now that she'd stopped herself and chosen to say nothing.

Nothing until... _Until some semblance of sanity comes back first, in all of this._

He wouldn't know and he couldn't know... There were other, more important things to worry about right now. Lucy was gone and needed rescuing, Yukino too... That Guild he called home and that blonde Celestial Mage that was a member of his Fairy Tail Family, and the only family he had for so long- that was the most important thing, out of everything.

She knew that, she felt that and she understood it... After all, SaberTooth was her top priority right now, out of everything.

So why... _W...why...?_

"Tch... Why am I crying...?!" She hissed, her voice shaking badly as she continued running and never let up- not even as her breathing began to hitch and the tears came and kept flowing. She didn't dare slow up, not even with the tears or the sharp pain growing worse in her chest, and threatening to make her start coughing.

She hated it, all of the shit that just happened and was happening- _it was fucking crazy!_ So many questions and variables and worries and not enough time to deal with any of it- she was rushing now and she was panicky and she _hated_ it..!

_What in the fuck is going on today..?! It's like someone let loose all the crazy in the world at once and dumped it over top of me!_

And then to add to the fun, whoever that asshole was with the jar of insanity had also uncorked a bottle of emotional distress and child-hood trauma and dumped it's contents over her head and onto her life for good measure! If Zentopia Church had a say in the matter that someone would be God on their terms... _Well, then God is a bastard!_

Even getting worked up over those thoughts didn't help slow the tears, much to her displeasure and further distress... _Damn it!_

_Stop! Just stop! Focus on one thing at a time or you are going to lose your freaking mind!_

_'I believe there can be a bit of debate that you have_ ** _already_** _lost your mind.'_ Lixue intoned, like a snarky little ass and she growled.

" _Fuck_ you, you are not helping!" She snapped at him, her voice lost on open air and earning a few bewildered stares from the people she was sprinting passed.

 _'Well then I will simply remind you- emotional or physical distress right now will only make the situation, and you're already badly battered health- worse. You need to be as calm as possible... Though that will be difficult.'_ Lixue grumbled, she growled, biting down on both cheeks.

He was right of course... Did she ever mention she hated it when he was right?

_How do you expect me to be any semblance of calm right now, after all of this...?!_

_'I understand all of this is straining, and I am sorry this is befalling you all at once, truly.'_ Lixue murmured, _'... Perhaps catering to your habit of ignoring your own needs over another's, think of it this way. If you do not keep some semblance of calm, you place more strain on me, and I am already injured... If not for yourself, Horatia- find some way to settle yourself for_ ** _my_** _sake, and not yours?'_

She grimaced, still sprinting and pushing forward harder to get back to the Guild- still crying, damn it- but... Maybe that did help.

_... Fine... Because you're hurt... And we need eachother, Lixue... I'll try..._

_'Thank you.'_

* * *

  


**Hello everyone! We have finally hit the fast climb into the height of this story, and I hope you are all enjoying it!**

**Thank you for continuing to support this story, all the feedback and comments I get from you just MAKE MY DAY ALWAYS!**

**Anyhoo~! I have neglected Broken Fairies for a long while now (for any of you who read that/ read my Frea-verse Series!) The next thing I update will** _**assuredly** _ **be Broken Fairies!**

**Thank you for reading~!**

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	26. Brutal Honesty

**Chapter 26**

**Brutal Honesty**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my** **own** **OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

He couldn't find her, anywhere.

He was flitting between every room in the Inn using his Shadow Form. In the five minutes it took him to bounce between every room, and realize she was nowhere in the Building- it felt like his heart was going to give out on him.

He rushed back into his room and snatched up the Calling Card from the nightstand, Frosch trembling and scared on the bed where Rogue had set him down before darting off again. He could hear Sting's voice ringing through the building- yelling at him, and demanding and explanation- but Rogue didn't wait.

He connected the Calling Card through to Hora's Card- hoping and praying she would actually answer. But his hopes shattered when he heard the chime of the bell ringing through the wall. He melted into Shadow and stepped into Hora's empty room to see the Calling Card left on the bed and ringing with only Rogue to hear it.

_No_

_She can't_

He whipped around, ready to fade back into Shadow and rush back to the Main Hall and to the entrance- to leave the Inn and all of the Guild behind in their shock and their terror and confusion. Ready to leave Frosch trembling and teary-eyed in the room, and leave Sting shouting at him- ready to rush out into Crocus and search every inch of the city, he had to.

_I have to find her_

Where even had she gone? How could she have been there, following them to face Jiemma's wrath- and then out of nowhere and when no one was paying any attention, she was gone? How could she-?

_She can't just disappear... She can't... She..._

_She can't be gone, Jiemma can't have..._

He was arguing with himself and the dread in his heart- the fear that wouldn't go away and the sinking feeling that kept nagging and yelling at him that she... She was gone... _She cannot be gone..!_

"Rogue! WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Sting's voice roared through the Inn, easily heard even by normal people and almost blaringly loud on Rogue and his heightened hearing. He didn't stop even then, though- he was rushing across the floor and under people in a mass of pitch black shadow that moved like a flat, black cloud on the ground. He rushed right passed the main hall and passed the rows of people frightened and confused, straight toward the doors and intent on leaving all of it behind- but he got stopped.

Somehow, Magical or otherwise- he was suddenly forced out of his Shadow Form and stumbled a bit a few dozen feet from the door, unsure how it happened or why- but even then he didn't dare stop. He'd search Crocus on his feet and without his Shadow Form if he had to.

But the sudden steely grip on his upper arm made his movement falter and he was pulled around roughly to meet Sting's wild, fearful blue gaze and pale face. The blonde grabbed Rogue tightly, locking him in place and a bead of sweat falling down his face as he saw the sheer terror in the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "What is going on..!?" Sting snapped, Rogue blinked. "Rogue, what about Hora?! Where is she, and why are you freaking out like this?!"

There was no room in the frenzy of his mind to come up with an answer, the only thing he could think was go and _find_ her. And with Sting holding on to him like that, the only thing that trumped that thought was-

"Let me go!" Rogue snapped quickly, already pulling away from the blonde- who's fingers dug into Rogue's arms even more tightly.

"Not before you tell me what the hell is wrong!" Sting snapped back hotly, though the question could be answered several ways- with what all just happened.

Jiemma defeated by Sting's hand and left to bleed on the floor until Minerva waved a hand and sent her father to who the hell knows where. Jiemma attacking Lector and the Exceed thought dead for a few, horrible minutes- only to find out he was alive, but now hostage at Minerva's hand. Hostage and to stay that way in the cruel woman's clutches until SaberTooth won the Grand Magic Games.

Everything had spiraled out of control in the course of half and hour and it went further when Rogue suddenly reacted like that- terrified and frantic and on the verge of tears now as Sting struggled to hold him still. More when he yelled Hora's name and they couldn't find her in the Inn, at all- and had been missing since before anything had happened with Jiemma, as Orga and Rufus explained. And now the Guild was panicking too, and desperately trying to hold it together- because Minerva was standing in her spot at the head of the hall and watching the sudden commotion with narrowed eyes and rigid, icy neutrality.

Sting pulled Rogue closer roughly, halting the man and earning his glittering red eyes, his face pale and shaking- sick almost as Sting swallowed. "Rogue! What is going on?!" He demanded again, and this time there was a lull- a small, fleeting instant where Rogue stopped struggling so much and his knees seemed to almost give out on him. And the tears spilled passed his red eyes and down his cheeks, and the sight of it was enough to make Sting forget how to breathe.

"We have to find Hora, she's in trouble...!" Rogue hissed, his voice breaking on her name and Sting felt a stab through his heart.

_What trouble?_

He was going to ask, but he didn't- because that was all he needed. Seeing how scared Rogue was and how much he needed to go- there was no time to ask and he wouldn't waste anymore.

He's in _tears_

He's _petrified_

It didn't matter _why,_ finding her was the only thing that mattered in that instant.

Sting nodded a bit, his hold on Rogue lessening as he swallowed back the lump in his throat- switching gears in an instant and pushing away everything else, latching on to action in lieu of question. "Y-yeah... Yeah, we'll find her." He replied quickly, Rogue was already turning to the door again and Sting heard him gulp a bit, causing a break in the frantic rhythm of his breathing.

_She has to be-_

* * *

Her lungs were on fire, her body in agony and every step down in her running was jolting and sent a wave of pain rushing up through her. Her center was in pain and she felt like pieces of shrapnel were trudging through her bloodstream and tearing as they went- the breaths she sucked in were jarring and harsh and tasted like blood.

She wanted nothing more than to stop- her body _needed_ her to stop, but she couldn't. The hill up up the Inn was torture. She was heaving and gasping as she refused to slow her sprinting even with the incline.

She'd managed to still her tears before leaving the confines of Crocus behind. In her whirling mind _Gray_ was still on the front-lines, but she had to stop thinking about him- she had to focus on her Guild and her friends and-

_Why in the hell did Jiemma try and kill us now, after a decade?!_

She was sputtering in her running, halfway coughing but never fully there. She was sure if she stopped the coughing would manage a way to fruition and it would probably end up with blood. Which, had been smeared over her lips and on her chin, and she'd done her best to do away with and only leave faint, almost imperceptible stains... But that was only her face, she couldn't do away with the stain of red on her hands or her arms.

_Damn it...! Why has my life turned into such insanity all of a sudden, anyway..?!_

She couldn't stop to try and wash up, she had to go faster, she had to get there, she had to understand and know what the fuck just happened. She had to get there and know that the Guild was okay, and that Jiemma hadn't tried to do anything to them like he had tried with her- _he tried killing me...!_

What if he tried to hurt them? He'd have been royally pissed about the loss today, and she wouldn't doubt his wrath and cruelty- but to go that far?

_If he's touched any of them, he's dead!_

_'Do try and temper your rage.'_ Lixue murmured, _'If you get too out of hand, I will not be able to quell you... it's not as if either of us are at full power right now anyway, despite how far you may be able to push it.'_

Hora growled, the sound more wheezy than she liked as she pushed herself up the hill ever faster. Her heart beating like a drum and her soul on fire as her breaths started to taste more and more like blood.

_Please, please be okay...!_

She blinked furiously, the edges of her vision blotched by dark spots and blurring incessantly as her head spun with the exertion. The inn was drawing closer but it was still so damned far- but not far enough she couldn't hear the sounds from the inside. And the very first thing she heard above everything else- was Rogue's voice.

"We have to find Hora, she's in trouble...!" He sounded so panicked it made her heart twist painfully.

_Shit shit shit...!_

_Of course he's_ _**panicked** _ _, he must have already realized what Jiemma was doing-_

She was almost there, she cleared the threshold of the front door and rounded the corner toward the main hall in what long pause there was before she heard someone reply to Rogue- and it was Sting's voice... Confused and scared.

Her steps faltered as she got there, her hand finding the wall as her balance tipped too much to stay standing on her own. Her vision was swimming as much as her head seemed to be spinning, but that didn't stop her from scanning the hall and taking everything in. All the rows of the people in the Guild looking unsure, afraid and on edge- stiff in their spots and not knowing what to do or even really what had all just happened. Hora stood in the entrance to the main hall, panting and her hand on the wall to keep herself upright as she struggled to make clear sense of the people and the situation- near all of which found her there in an instant, but only because Rogue and Sting had already been headed toward the exit.

Her dark blue eyes matched with frantic red ones as Rogue faltered in shock at seeing her suddenly back in the inn- especially after having been searching for her. And he saw her, pale and covered in sweat and panting so, so hard- her hands and her arms stained in blood that hadn't been there before. His and everyone else who lay eyes on her now- all their hearts dropped.

"... H... Horatia...?!" Was the shocked murmur that spread quickly among the masses,

"Hora!" Rogue gasped, his faltering over and done with as he swept up to her and his hands took firm, shaking hold of her shoulders, his red eyes raking over every inch of her. Sting wad close behind, looking stricken at the state of her and paling a little himself- because how did she look so awful out of nowhere?

"Are you alright...?! You look terrible...! Jiemma, he.. he...!" Rogue stammered quickly, his wild gaze snapping up to meet hers and tears streaming from his eyes, Hora felt her heart twist. "Hora, please... He tried to do it, he _did_ do it- how... How are you here? Are you okay, or are you...? Hora, just... Please _please_ don't die...!" He hissed, his voice hoarse and painful and breaking. "... Please... Please tell me he didn't... You... You have to be okay...!"

Sting- who had come up beside the Shadow Dragon Slayer and stopped next to him and to Hora- flinched slightly, eyes wide and trembling as he saw Rogue falling apart by the second and nearly _begging_... And about... Hora _dying...?_

"W-what...?" Sting stammered, "... What the hell do you mean...? Why would you think... Why would you be dying...?!" He questioned quickly, looking to Hora now for an answer Rogue was in no state of mind to give. "Hora what the hell is going on, what happened to you...?! What did Jiemma do...?!" his eyes flashed as fear cracked across his expression almost as potently as it was on Rogue's. He stepped closer a bit, eyes flashing. "Please, you gotta tell me...! What is going on, are you... are you okay...? Why wouldn't you be okay...?!" Hora faltered on replying for a few seconds, her eyes stayed with Sting's and Rogue's hands still holding so tightly to her- and both Dragon Slayers trembling, though less so in former's case.

_They're both panicking-_

Her eyes swept passed them and towards the rest of the Guild, and she saw the apprehension, fear and confusion on their faces too.

_-all of them are... but if Sting had to ask, that means Rogue didn't say anything... So why do they all look so scared...?_

She looked among them all and couldn't find the bastard of a man she had held her slave for the last decade, and her nose twitched, easily able to smell blood- _his_ blood.

_But where the hell is he...? What is going on...?!_

"Where did you go...?!" Sting pressed, quickly getting impatient.

"H-Hora..." Rogue stammered her name, holding tighter to her arms. "Please, tell me Jiemma didn't...!"

Hora hissed, swallowing back at her labored breathing and her eyes breaking from searching the crowd toward the dark-haired man. Her hands moved up, catching his arms and gently forcing him to let her go, though he hesitated to do so. She nodded at him in answer to his question, and the color drained from his face faster than it ever had.

"Rogue, listen to me and calm down." Hora instructed quickly and gently. "He did try and break it, but he didn't manage to. I'm going to be fine, I promise, and I'm going to explain everything-" her eyes moved toward Sting as she nodded at him, "-to all of you. But right now you need to tell me what happened. Where the hell is Jiemma?"

"He is dead."

Hora's heart skipped a beat, her stomach flipping and her attention snapping around toward the cold and icy voice of Minerva- who had moved through a parted line in the crowd and stopped not twenty feet away from Hora and the two Dragon Slayers. Minerva's expression was cold and calculating, and her eyes piercing as she stopped there with her hands on her hips. Hora hissed and pulled Rogue up and passed herself- before stepping in front of both him and Sting, her body a barrier between SaberTooth's Lady and them.

" _What?_ " Hora snapped lowly, Minerva's eyes flashed at the way Hora had moved to place herself between Sting and Rogue so blatantly.

"I sent his body off somewhere else before he began to give off a stench." Minerva replied lowly, "While you were off doing whatever it was you were doing- in my Father's anger after today's defeat, he lashed out, and Lector was 'killed' in the crossfire." Hora stiffened, her heart plummeting into her feet.

_L-Lector...?!_

"And in Sting's rage and pain, he naturally retaliated." Minerva went on coolly, her head tilting slightly toward said Dragon Slayer, and Hora cast a glance over her shoulder to see Sting's eyes fallen to the floor... He looked so... _Defeated..._

_But if Lector really is... He should be a mess...!_

"A short lived conflict, ending with Sting the winner and proving he has the right to try and earn the title of Guild Master of Fiore's #1 Strongest Guild." Minerva hummed, "Should SaberTooth win the Grand Magic Games tomorrow, he will be the new Guild Master- and his precious cat will be returned to him."

Hora went very still, her eyes locked on Sting still even as Minerva continued talking- and this time she felt her heart _stop._

_Returned... To..._

"I plucked Lector away before he met his demise at my Father's hands, and his life remains in my hands until the Games are won." Minerva hummed, her voice dripping in threat and malice- she held the power still and she knew it. Because even with Jiemma gone, she was still the Lady of SaberTooth and she still held dominion over the Guild, and she made sure everyone knew it- and could hear it in her voice. They all knew just how easily she could harm Lector, and get away with it. And not a damn one of them would ever do anything about it- they hadn't the nerve to try.

Hora's face darkened though, her eyes blazing with a cold fire and her hands clenching into fists at her sides as she turned around and back toward Minerva in an instant- and in the next, she was not a foot in front of SaberTooth's 'Lady'.

Minerva stiffened a little, her eyes widening at how quickly the other woman had moved to plant herself there- and what burning, steely, hate-filled look was on her face.

"Who in the hell do you think you are?" Hora growled, her tone flinty and like ice- and the Guild and even Minerva stared at the question- what was she... she's speaking to _Minerva_ like that...!? And she approached her like that- so _blatantly!_ They didn't even see her move...!

Minerva scowled, her expression twisting in disgust and anger at the sudden shift in attitude- and the nerve. " _Excuse_ me?" Minerva muttered, her tone like venom. "How dare you speak to me like that?" Hora's expression darkened further, and the inky black Markings made an appearance- spreading and spiraling up across both arms with a fervor. The air got about five degrees hotter in the course of a second, and the Guild gulped- riveted and not able to wrap their heads around... around _Hora._ Where did this come from? She's never stood up to Minerva before, not... not once!

"Oh, _I dare_." Hora shot back lowly, her voice barbed and her countenance nothing but straight-backed and angry and steely- more steely and more firm than ever, and against _Minerva!_

Hora took one step forward, threateningly- and Minerva's icy eyes narrowed to slits at the action, though she said nothing- because she was reeling too. This had _never_ happened before... Horatia had never talked back, ever. Not in over _ten years._ And that look on her face, it was so dark, and angry... dangerous, even.

"That is your mistake, _Minerva_." Hora growled, and the way she said her name had chills running up everyone's spines.

"Oh really?" Minerva growled, her eyes flashing in anger and disgust. "You're the one about to make the mistake, Horatia. You do realize what I could do to you-"

"-your biggest mistake is thinking I am _afraid_ of _you_." Hora cut the other woman off with utter ease and Minerva blinked, "Or that I have _ever_ been afraid of you, or that I ever _could_ be. Do you honestly think I never fought back out of fear of _you?_ Or what _you_ would do to me? Or that you could _beat_ _me_ if we went at it?" Hora took another step forward, and this time Minvera's posture grew just the faintest bit defensive. "Now that your bastard of a Father no longer has that fucking Possession Link on me- let me make this perfectly clear for you."

Minerva's eyes widened slightly, her expression pulling a bit- defensive and tense and reeling and fixed to her spot- and _silent_. She was rigid and motionless and hardly daring to breathe as Hora stepped up and put herself right into the 'Lady's' face, her dark blue gaze burning into Minerva's with more fire and fervor than they had ever had. And Minerva looked confused- she probably couldn't fathom the idea that anyone let alone Hora would stand up to her, and especially not then. She was fiery- and yet so, so cold. The air was hot around her and yet Minerva's blood turned to ice under the sheer power of that look.

"I can't fight you right now without putting Lector in danger- so for now, we'll go into the Games and we will aim to win. _For now_ , we'll go with your plan, and I'm sure everyone will do their best." Hora growled lowly, "But hear me when I say this; if you hurt Lector, or anyone else in this Guild, in any way, from here on- _I_ _will kill you._ _Without_ hesitation."

Minerva's expression flooded with the faintest hints of fear for a few seconds- Hora's words like swords and her sudden brash and bold and fiery fearlessness nearly flooring everyone in the hall. And the sheer, deadly serious tone of voice- and the look in her eyes... _Murderous_

Many people gulped, shivering as the words rang on their ears and every single person in that hall knew she _meant_ that threat.

"...tch... You think you could?" Minerva hissed lowly, the fear gone where it had hardly been for a few seconds- and her own demeanor steeling a bit once more. The Markings swirled over Hora's skin like ebony fire and she inched just a little closer to Minerva, their noses almost touching and their eyes locked.

"You will be a pile of blackened bones before you ever even think about using Magic." Hora growled, the air heating up more and now the people in it felt more than the warmth- they felt the pressure and the throb of Hora's Magic Power. It was _stifling._

"You have no clue what I am capable of, Minerva." Hora hissed, her fangs bared and her dark blue gaze suddenly flashing an eerie, icy blue. Minerva's eyes widened at the change, taken back by it and not daring to move- she wouldn't back down, and Hora wasn't likely to either. But it was enough Minerva said nothing- she _did_ nothing, and that in itself was something of a surrender... A surrender so subtle and yet no one could believe it.

 _Hora_ has _Minerva_ on the defensive... _W-WHAT...?!_

Hora stepped back after a few tense, electrified seconds where she and Minerva just glared at each other. She shot one last, hot and hate-filled look at the 'Lady', before turning and looking toward the stunned Guild instead. Among the masses including Dobengal, and Othan, and Keiyye, and so many more she had known for so long... She had let suffer in this Guild for so long.

"Go to bed." She ordered softly, her ire fading along with the Markings, and the warmth of the room. "I'll explain what's going on to the rest of you after the Games are done. For now just stay calm, and please be patient." She murmured, there was a wash of uneasy faces and looks among all of them- and they hesitated. Of course they did, they hadn't any clue what had even just happened. Not where she went or why Rogue had been freaking out, not what she meant by 'Possession Link' or how she could have become so bold in the face of Minerva out of nowhere- or why it was she asked them to go and to wait for answers... How could she go from arriving in the room and out of breath, to angrier and more dangerous than they had ever seen her- and then all the way back around to somehow calm and even gentle when she asked them to wait and to disperse? How could she not... She hadn't hardly seemed bothered by the fact Jiemma was dead or that Sting had killed him- in an instant she was just furious with Minerva for taking hold of Lector.

Did she even realize it? They were a Guild without a Master and more than that- the cruelty of that man would be no more? She has to, right? More than anyone in all the years, Jiemma had always been the harshest with her... And yet she skipped over it and bore down on Minerva with the resolution, steadfastness, and the will she had never shown before against her or their (now former) Master.

It made sense Hora would be angry about Minerva's threat over Lector and Sting- and everyone else- in order to win the GMG. That was natural, Hora had never liked Minerva, and to have her holding Lector of all people hostage and using his _life_ as leverage- they _all_ hated that, not just Hora. But the fact she threatened to kill Minerva if she harmed him? Him or anyone else in the Guild while the GMG was still going on? And she said it to Minerva's face out loud and for everyone to hear and to see?

Where _did_ this new Hora come from...!? And out from nowhere...?!

"Please do as I say." Hora said, her voice clear and level and reaching all of them with ease. This time they shifted, casting furtive, questioning looks at her and moving with shuffling feet.

"...o-okay..."

"... Y..yeah... We'll just... Go..."

"... Dude what the fuck is going on...?"

"... Dunno... I've never seen Horatia like... Like _that_..."

They started to file off, slowly and then much more quickly like they couldn't wait to put some distance between themselves and all the tension in the hall. Minerva watched them move off with narrowed eyes, but said nothing against the order given by Horatia. And once the bulk of the Guild left her eyes found the five figures who- four had not moved to leave as Hora directed- and the other was standing at the edge of the hallway and trembling from head to tail. And Hora was well aware they didn't go anywhere- she expected that, and she wouldn't argue it... Even if she knew she had no choice now but to tell them. About all of it-

 _'-all of it?'_ Lixue asked curiously, Hora bit the inside of her cheek.

_... Eventually all of it, but right now just... Just some of it I guess. The most important parts... The pressing parts._ _I don't have a lot of time to stay here recanting it all either... I have to find out about what happened with Lucy and Yukino... So I can't stand here for very long, I told the Fairy Tailers I'd meet them..._

Hora's head tilted slightly, her eyes shifting sideways and toward Minerva as she shot one last, angry look at the woman over her shoulder- before she looked away and started walking.

She gestured softly with a hand toward the hallway, her eyes darting over Rufus, Orga and Sting- a silent signal for them to head toward it. Her hand caught gently around Rogue's upper arm as she pulled him along with her, and they started in a silent, sullen group toward the hallway and toward where Frosch was waiting and shaking like a leaf. Hora let Rogue go and stooped to pick Frosch up in her arms, holding him close as the small creature mewed, burying it's nose in her chest. Hora's eyes darted toward Sting and she grimaced, her heart twisting.

_Lector... I can't believe Minerva even dared-_

She forced herself a breath and looked away, aware of the people and their footsteps behind her- and the heavy silence that followed them all the way back and toward the room that Rogue and Sting shared. She gave Frosch a small squeeze, biting the inside of her cheek as she stepped into the room and to the side, stopping at the door and letting everyone file in passed her with her eyes cast to the floor. Rufus shut the door behind them all with little a sound before joining the others in the center of the room- all of them facing her and rigid in their spots and waiting.

Hora glanced down toward Frosch, pulling the Exceed back slightly and earning teary eyes. "I'm going to put you down, alright..?"

"Y-yeah, okay... Atia.." Frosch stammered, Hora nodded and set him down on the table. She stepped back a bit and stood in front of the door with her hands on her hips, eyes closed and quiet for a few seconds.

"... H.. Hora are you okay...?" Rogue's shaky question came in the pause, his eyes still wet and his face still so pale and scared- he was trembling just as much as Frosch was, and his behavior had everyone all the more on edge.

"What is going on..?!" Sting grumbled, "Rogue was freaking out- he asked if you were _dying_ , Hora- why would you be...?!"

"Seriously, you look like crap." Orga grumbled lowly, his eyes finding the blood on her hands and arms- and she was pale too. "Where the hell did you go? One minute you were right behind us and then the next you disappeared."

"And what you said, about a 'Possession Link' that Jiemma held." Rufus murmured lowly, "Possession of what? And why did it cause such distress?"

"And more than that- you just stood up to _Minerva!_ You... You've _never_ done that..! And right now when she has Lector...?!" Sting hissed, eyes glittering. "Hora I'm freaking out here, you need to tell us what the hell is going on...! And... And what does Rogue know that we don't...?!" Rogue flinched a little at that and Hora did too, "And what the fuck even _is_ that?! A 'Possession Link'?! Is that... Is that what Jiemma was messing with when he said he was gonna-?!"

"... Break it." Hora mumbled, cutting him off a bit as he frowned.

"Break _what?!_ He said he was going to 'bring someone with him'- _kill_ them! What is it that it could kill you..?! Is... Is that the _real_ reason you said you couldn't leave the Guild?! Was all that stuff you said the other night about wanting to fix what Jiemma's done and keeping and eye on the people in the Guild all a lie?!"

"Not all of it was a lie." Hora murmured softly, her eyes trained to the floor. "There's just... There's a lot of things I've never told all of you-"

"You think we don't already know that?!" Sting snapped, cutting her off abruptly. "After you broke down and started crying back in Lamia-Town?! Or after all that stuff you said before finally telling us what your Magic even is after almost _ten years?!_ Of course we know you've been hiding shit! But we trusted you to tell us the important things! And you haven't! You've been hiding and lying about so much of it!" Hora flinched under the angry words and everyone else in the room stiffened at it. "Tell us what is going on!" Sting ordered sharply, Hora's shoulders hunched as her eyes snapped closed under all of his anger.

Her hands moved upward and her palms clapped together in front of her. Her head suddenly bowed and her body too as she pressed her forehead against her held together hands. Everyone in the room stared slightly at the sudden posture,

"There's a lot about me I never told you and I never planned to, and the bulk of it is... It's terrible." Hora said quickly and quietly, her voice low and tense. "My past and my life and my Magic and everything about all that spanning back to before I ever met or knew any of you... I kept it all to myself and I've tried to keep it all hidden and keep you all from knowing even... Even when it was hard, or you deserved to know... I kept my mouth shut and I never said anything and... And I've starred to learn and see that I _shouldn't_ have." She sucked in a sharp breath of air and held it a few moments when the ache of pain in her chest flared to life.

"... But even when I knew that, I still hesitated- and it had nothing to do with not trusting you. I was just scared and I hated to think what might happen if you ever knew... More than anything in my life, my first priority has been to keep you safe. To do what I can to make that happen and do it even if it meant putting you ahead of me. And even then, I have _sucked_ at doing that. I've sat back and I have watched you get hurt for so long and I hate myself for allowing it... But you deserve to know, and for the first time in my life... I'm going to do my best to be completely, and brutally honest with you... Even if it hurts... Or... Now is maybe the worst time to dump it on you with everything going on..." Her voice broke a bit at the end and she hissed, her head and her body still bowed... Regretful and apologetic.

"... So much of this is just... Really bad... And I'm sorry... But I need you all to realize that these years with you- all the good times, and the care, and the fun... My friendship with you... All the best parts... Those were all _real_." Hora hissed, her voice trembling as her hands did too. "None of that has ever been a lie, or an act... All of it was genuine, regardless of everything else, or what you're going to find out... And... And I hope someday... Maybe...you'll forgive me..."

Her fingers folded together tightly and she kept her nose pressed against the top of her knuckles. Her hands were shaking more and the rest of her was following suit. _Damn it_ her whole body felt stiff and twisted- and her soul was just as knotted... She almost felt sick even just thinking about saying any of it- let alone doing it.

_You can't stop, you just have to push through and do it- if you hesitate you won't tell them... You... You just have to!_

"... Tch... When... When I was a kid, the village I grew up in was attacked by a Demon of Zeref... And everyone... Everyone died..." She hissed, her voice shaking and hesitating when she said that... Everyone.

_A lie but... But..._

She wouldn't look up at them, she couldn't handle seeing their expressions- or what shock and upset appeared in their faces at that, their stomach's flipping and their blood running cold.

"... I was going to die too, but there was a man who found me... Arden... He was the previous holder of the Magic I have now... he transferred his Magic over to me... even when I didn't want it..." Hora hissed, her hands holding together tightly and her nails digging into her knuckles. "... the issue with Fire Devil Slaying Magic is that it's too powerful to exist in someone's body all by itself, and you can't keep control of it on your own... it... It eats at you, tearing you apart from the inside out... burning you alive..." She broke off, flinching backward at the torrent of memory flooding forward of that day- that terrible, terrible day...

_She was writhing around in that blood soaked snow and ice, screaming and fidgeting for hours, her body destroying itself, burning itself, and then slapping itself back together- the flames raged and then died, and then raged again and it was a fate worse than death... she wanted to die, she screamed and pleaded and wished she would- begged. And the pain still kept on..._

"... it has a mind of it's own and Devil Slayer Magic is in itself corruptive... it makes it's holders lose their minds, twists them into monsters... but Fire Devil Slaying Magic is much worse. It _consumes_ you, and it's more wild and uncontrollable than the the other elements... that's the nature of fire after all... so... so even if it doesn't manage to kill you somehow, it drives you insane, makes you want to harm and to kill... whoever you were before is lost to the flames." Hora growled, she shook her head hotly, letting out a breath of agitation. "It got decided a long time ago there had to be some way to temper the Fire that comes with the Devil Slaying Magic, and the only effective way of doing it was to imbue a Magic inside of the user with an opposite nature to counteract the Fire." Her hands unhooked a little and her palms pressed against her chest lightly as she stood up a little straighter, her eyes still closed and taking in a deep breath.

"There's a Lacrima imbued with the Magic and life-force of a creature that uses Ice Magic. It's his job to help keep the Fire Devil Slayer Magic in check, and keep it from tearing me apart... this Lacrima is what keeps me alive, without it I would die." Hora murmured lowly, everyone stiffened. "...and ten years ago, when I had been in SaberTooth just under a year- Jiemma arrived and took over the Guild. He killed the old Guild Master and he found out about the Lacrima inside of me. And in order to keep me here and under his order- he placed a type of Body-Link Magic known as a Possession Link on it. You can't break them, I've tried, and I tried to find something that could, I researched them for years... I never found anything that would help me, or break it... and... and with it, Jiemma... He could find me if I ran, and he could break the Lacrima and kill me if he wanted with ease- for ten years I've been stuck here and I've been trapped and forced to just... Let him get with everything, or risk him killing me." Her tone grew icy at the end as she growled, "And I've never been afraid he'd... I'm not afraid of dying, I've never been, but more than anything I never wanted to tell any of you because I didn't want you in danger... I didn't want you to be put in trouble if you stood up to Jiemma or tried to change something, I didn't want you in danger if you went after him for it... and I didn't want to risk leaving any of you alone here in this Guild run by that bastard..! I didn't want to leave you here alone and I didn't want you in harm's way... so fuck me, but I've just let him do all this awful shit to all of you for so long! I am so sorry, I've hated having to watch him hurt any of you, and I've hated having to hold myself back all this time...! If I could have stood up and not... not risked anything... _shit_..."

She broke off and her hands raised, her knuckles pressing against her chin as she shook her head furiously.

"I didn't want you to get hurt, but that's all that's been happening... and I am so, so _sorry._... I've been hesitating my whole life between wanting to tell you and explain it to you all- and then holding back so you'd be safer... like you could be safer just not knowing... I thought that if Jiemma found out that you guys knew about it, and you said something... I thought he might kill you and I couldn't live with that...!" Hora snapped lowly, "... I... I didn't want to tell you... I never have... I... I should have said something a long time ago... I get that now... I've just been too damn afraid...!" Hora hissed,

"... why did... _Rogue_ knew, right..?" Sting asked lowly, and slowly too- Hora jumped a little at how steely a tone he had. She dared lift her eyes up enough to see the utterly stony look on his face- a stark contrast to the pale and stricken looks shared among Rogue, Frosch, Orga and Rufus at what slew of new and terrible information had just been dumped upon them.

"...yeah..." Hora breathed, and Rogue glanced toward Sting nervously.

"I... I didn't give her much choice... It wasn't easy for her to tell me.." Rogue murmured lowly, "... and I've only known since two nights ago..." He added quietly, Sting's eyes flashed.

"... and what happened tonight? After what... what _I_ did to Jiemma... and he decided he was going to hurt you any way..." Sting growled, "... Where did you go? And if Jiemma really did try and break that Lacrima by using the Possession Link... and you really need that Lacrima to live... how are you alive...?" Hora swallowed slightly,

"... I... I was out on the other side of Crocus." Hora murmured, his eyes narrowed.

"... how the hell did you get all the way over there..?" Orga mumbled,

"... I... I don't know..." Hora stammered slightly,

"What the hell do you mean you _don't know?"_ Sting hissed, Hora wilted a bit.

"... I honestly don't know." She muttered, "I was following you guys out, down the hallway and then... _something_... or... or someone grabbed me and I was just... I wasn't _here_ anymore, in about three seconds. It... it was saying all this weird crap that I don't understand it and it seemed to know what was going on here, it... it said something like I was _supposed_ to end up dead-" She broke off completely, her words failing her and her eyes dropping downward.

_"Forgive me, Horatia. But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."_

_... what... what does that even mean...? Whoever it was... they watched me die once already...?_

__But... I'm not..._ _

She shuddered despite herself, her hands clutched together in front of her a bit more tightly as she tried to shake off the memory as quickly as it came.

"... listen... Jiemma tried... he was shattering the Lacrima and I could feel it... I was... my Magic got out of control and I wasn't even able to think, let alone breathe... I would be dead right now and on the other side of the city... he... he got so close to killing me..." There was a pain and fear in their faces as she said it, but her eyes were on her hands now. "... but Wendy found me, and she Dispelled the Possession Link Magic, and she healed me... mostly..."

"... _mostly_...?" Rogue breathed, his red eyes flashing and fear racing anew through his veins.

"Wendy... the Fairy Tail kid...?" Orga mumbled, Rufus' hand moved up to his face to brush his bangs back a bit, taking in a low, slow breath that was probably meant to be calming.

"... a child with a gift for enchantments... perhaps it is not a surprise she could unwind such complex Body-Link Magic..." The blonde murmured aloud, Rogue stepped forward toward her just a little bit, red eyes gleaming and looking her up and down.

"Woah, wait a minute, if he put a Spell on a Lacrima in you... don't that mean he could have done the same thing with these two?" Orga grumbled, his head tilting sideways toward Sting and Rogue and Hora shook her head quickly.

" _No,_ I put a Spell on both of them as soon as they decided to join the Guild." Hora answered quickly, "It prevents a Possession Link from being cast on an object at all, Jiemma could never even try that on them- I made sure of it." Orga grimaced, nodding a bit as Rufus looked at her quietly- Rogue had his eyes on Hora while Sting had his on the floor... and the White Dragon Slayer's hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Hora, you said _mostly_... you haven't..." Rogue started, but he never got very far.

"Tch... so you were _dying_ a few minutes ago and you did what... you sprinted through Crocus to get back here...?" Sting grumbled lowly, Hora blinked. "And you ran in here ready to take Minerva and Jiemma on, regardless of dying a few minutes ago...?" Sting growled, "You just threatened to kill Minerva even after you ran all the way here and you look ready to pass out! And you _did_ say 'mostly', you are _not_ okay- one look at you and we can all tell that, Hora! All of this is... with you and your Magic and what happened to your parents... how could you not tell us any of this...?! How can you stand there and just..." He growled lowly, his jaw clenching- and _hard._

Hora stared, her eyes glittering and stiff as a board as she simply watched him. His hands locked behind his head and his fangs ground down on each other, his entire countenance harsh and quickly bubbling...

"How can you just... just say all of that and lay out there like it's nothing..?! How can you be so worried about all of us when you've been... you've been a slave for ten years Hora, and you let yourself suffer the entire time in silence...! All of this shit has happened and been happening to you for years, and you were more worried about _us_...?!" Sting snapped lowly, Hora's eyes widened a little, a bead of sweat falling down her face. He growled, pacing slightly a bit in front of her and between Rogue and Rufus. "... tch... all this time and you've never... you've never said anything, Hora! Not a damn thing, not about Jiemma, or even your Magic, or your family... you could have told us...! You _should_ have told us!" Hora blinked a few times,

"... I... I know... I've realized that..." She stammered quietly, swallowing a bit. "...I... I get it... you're mad at me..."

She flinched backward and everyone else in the room did too as Sting suddenly rounded on her, blue eyes blazing and _furious._

"Of course I'm fucking mad at you!" He snapped hotly, "How can I not be?! You've been lying and keeping things from us for years! We don't know a damn thing about you!" Hora stiffened, "Hora, we didn't even find out you were a Devil Slayer until a month ago! And now you're telling us you've got some creature and it's Magic locked up in a Lacrima in your body that we never knew about?! And all this time you've never _once_ mentioned a family or who you were before we met you! And we didn't question it! But don't you think we deserved to know what happened to you, after all of this time...?!" He stepped toward her and Hora backed up a bit out of instinct.

Rogue turned to Sting a little, "Sting..." The Shadow Dragon Slayer warned lowly, but he was more or less ignored.

"... I know you did... I know you all deserved to know..." Hora started softly, her voice almost hoarse.

"But you didn't!" He snapped, Hora's mouth shut and her breaths halted in her lungs.

_He... He's livid..._

"What else have you not told us, huh?!" He growled lowly, Hora swallowed at that, her expression clouding with fear for a second- and he noticed in an instant. "I see the look on your face Hora, there's something else!"

"... Sting, calm down a little..." Rogue mumbled,

"Yeah man, you're gettin' too wound up." Orga grumbled,

Both of them got ignored and Sting advanced another few steps toward Hora, and she stiffened under the glare. "What else happened, Hora?!" Sting demanded, Hora bit the inside of her cheek.

"... There were other Fairy Tailers with Wendy, when she found me." Hora started lowly, "I don't know all the details right now, and I plan to go and find out but... what they told me is that Lucy and _Yukino_ have been arrested by the Kingdom and they are both in trouble." Sting went very still, his anger dissipating slightly in a wash of shock, confusion, and even fear at the words. Everyone else all stiffened, their eyes widening and hearts jumping at the news about the Celestial Mage they had heard nothing of in days.

"... Yukino...?" Sting breathed, Hora nodded stiffly.

"I didn't have a lot of time to ask questions, I had to get back here and understand what went on." Hora told him softly, "I told the Fairy Tailers I would meet them in a bit and I plan on finding out what the hell is going on... And why Yukino and Lucy have been taken prisoner... And maybe even what it was that snatched me a bit ago and what all it was talking about is." His expression pulled a little.

"... You're leaving then?" He asked quietly, Hora paused.

"Hora you can't run off, you look terrible...!" Rogue butted in quickly, "You said you were dying, and you're clearly not healed all the way- you need to rest!" She shook her head a little,

"I'm fine, at least for now..." She told him softly, but it wasn't the assurance he or any of them were looking for. "Wendy healed me quite a bit... Even if it wasn't all the way, I have time yet before I can't do anything anymore and I have to rest. I don't plan on sitting here doing nothing..."

"Even if you run yourself into the ground...?!" Rogue hissed, "I understand you want to help them, Hora- but you need to take care of yourself too..!"

"...tch... What are you going to do anyway?" Sting grumbled, "Fight the kingdom by yourself?" Hora grimaced a bit,

"You've yet to relay to us the full extent of your injuries, Horatia." Rufus murmured softly, "If I am understanding all of this correctly- what Lacrima that had a Possession Link upon it has been damaged, and quite severely in fact. That in itself is painful, and cuts into your health and your Magic capability... But it must have also been left unable to temper your Devil Slayer Magic while being destroyed, yes? If without the Ice Magic in the Lacrima, your other Magic would harm you and injure you- what time it was inactive you were being injured internally, at near a constant rate, yes?" He asked quietly, and Hora swallowed a bit, uncertainty flashing across her expression- of course Rufus of all people would understand it, and better than everyone else.

_And of course he was spot on... Damn it_

Rufus' eyes flashed as he narrowed them at her, expression as collected as could be managed but not without the small hint of worry too. "... Which would mean you're wounded internally, and quite extensively... Even should Wendy have healed you, her Magic would have limits. And your injuries are likely beyond them." Rufus murmured, letting out a small sigh. "It is the nature of her Magic to regain someone's strength, and she likely did so for you- so you have strength now to push passed your wounds and stay standing, but you are still unwell. And more so, from what you explained to us of 'Over-Drive', and what we know know about your Magic... That condition is likely to strike you now as well, yes? And soon?"

"Over-Drive almost _killed_ you the last time, Hora..!" Rogue snapped, his voice shaking and body too- he had none of the will to be as collected as Rufus was when the blonde said his piece. "You told us physical and emotional strain sets it off- you just went through a surplus of that with what Jiemma did, and telling us all of this right now- if you go off to fight somewhere after all of this... Over-Drive could be ten times worse than last time! You got really bad! You stopped _breathing!"_ Rogue snapped hoarsely, his eyes glittering and Frosch wilted at the memory of it.

 _'There is no 'could' about it... It will be worse this time around.'_ Lixue commented dryly in her head, and Hora hissed.

"... It'll not be like last time." Hora replied lowly, "Last time I had the Possession Link on me, the other half of my Magic was cut off and unusable- I had one half of myself vying for power with little to no opposition, it won't be like last time-"

"But it'll still be _bad_ , right?" Sting hissed lowly, cutting Hora off and she flinched a little at his tone- and the accuracy of the statement. Her hands held together a bit more tightly in front of her, her eyes falling on her fingers and quiet for a few seconds. That was answer enough for the rest of them though, and Rogue looked all the more panicked for it, though he never got the chance to say anything before Hora started up.

"Look... I'm... I'm sorry, I know you're worried about Lector and I know I just dumped a bunch of stuff on you guys..." Hora started, and Sting scowled slightly, his eyes glittering. "It doesn't matter right now, I have awhile yet before I hit my Limit- and I can't just sit back and do nothing while all of this is going on... Yukino is _one of us_ , and she needs help, I can't just leave her there. And I can't leave Lucy there either." She took in a deep breath, her breath hitching slightly and threatening to have her coughing- but she refused. She stood straighter and her expression hardened, "They're my friends, I have to try... I have to do something, even if it's just a little thing. And I'm sorry if you don't want me to, but I have to go. I have to try, and I will do everything I can to make sure I come back- and Yukino and Lucy come back safe and sound too." Her eyes swept across them in succession before landing on the scowling face of Sting,

"I can't go against Minerva to try and get Lector back without risking his life... even with everything I am and can do- I'm not fast enough, and she'd use him against me just like she's using him against you." Hora mumbled, "If she wants SaberTooth to win the GMG, then you all have to try your hardest to make that happen... I don't know what I can do, but I'll try anything to help get him back Sting... and I'll do anything to make sure he and everyone else in this Guild is safe. I promise that." Her sudden firmness faded slightly, "... I just don't know what to do to help right now... as much as I hate it, we have to go along with what Minerva wants for now... things are just really complicated, and I have to find some way to unravel it- and that means talking with the Fairy Tailers to try and clear some of this up. If there's anyway to help with any of this, I'll do my best, you all have my word on that."

Rufus, Orga, Frosch and Rogue seemed to deflate a little at the promise, their eyes glittering and tense as they listened to her- and Sting let out a low growl that caught them all off guard.

"Tch... you need to _quit_ worrying about everyone else ahead of yourself, Hora." He told her lowly, she blinked at the harshness of his tone. "But fine, whatever- leave Minerva and Lector to us, and go talk to Fairy Tail if you really have to." He hissed lowly, "You're clearly gonna run off no matter what we say, so why waste time arguing about it?" Hora blinked, her eyes glittering and her heat plummeting a slight bit as his hands fell on his hips and he settled her with an icy stare. _"Go_ , find Yukino and bring her back."

"W-what seriously..?!" Rogue snapped, "Did you hear anything we just said...?! She's in no shape to be going anywhere! How can you even tell her to leave like that...?!" Sting's jaw clenched at the words, his eyes dropping closed.

"She's going to do whatever she wants, Rogue." Sting muttered lowly, "No amount of talking to her or yelling at her is gonna change a damn thing. Nothing we've said or done has ever had an effect on changing her mind before, I doubt it'll start now." He growled, Hora's eyes flashed at the ire in the words, her eyes darting away from and to the floor as she felt her heart twist.

_That... that's not true..._

Rogue stiffened at the words and so did everyone else, eyes widening at the sheer venom and anger in Sting's voice and expression- he was being so... so _harsh._

 _Insanely_ harsh- especially given what was going on and the very real situation that Hora was in and how hurt she was and could end up being... harsh even after all she'd said about her life and her family and how she'd been trapped by Jiemma. Being that way right now, after learning about all of that and realizing what she was going through... that wasn't like him, it was almost _cruel._

Hora swallowed, biting back the painful twisting of her heart and willing the stinging in her eyes to go away. She understood it, he was angry at her and he was worried and wound up about Lector and Jiemma and Yukino and... everything. She got it, he had every right to be angry and she didn't blame him for being curt with her... but she didn't expect it to hurt so much.

_S...shit..._

"... what the hell has gotten into you...?!" Rogue snapped at the blonde, "You're being an ass! Don't you give a damn what happens to her, Sting?!" Hora bit the inside of both her cheeks when Sting didn't ordain an answer, but instead huffed. Sting turned his back slightly on Rogue and the rest of them, utterly quiet and Hora felt her heart ache... And she ignored it.

She gestured at Orga in a sign for him to come closer, and the large man did so- slowly though, since he wasn't sure what she wanted. And Hora didn't elaborate either, "... Rogue I have to go." Hora mumbled softly, her voice quavering as she stepped forward toward him and caught his arms gently. His glimmering red gaze snapped from Sting toward her, apprehension and worry that made her heart hurt even more. His hands moved up to grab hold of her waist with no intention of letting go, and Hora sucked in a sharp breath of air.

"Hora I'm not letting you go anywhere, you're not in any shape-!" He argued hotly, her hands moved up from his arms and grabbed soft hold of his cheeks, cutting him off with the unexpected action as she pressed her forehead against his- dark blue on red eyes locking.

"Rogue I'm sorry." She murmured, "... I'm so sorry... to all of you... but I have to go... I'll be back, I swear..." Her eyes dropped closed as she leaned into him a little and he just searched her face, stiff in place and holding on to her.

_I don't have a choice, there's too much going on... I can't stay here and fight you... I can't... I dumped all of this on you guys and I can't stay here and let it sink in... I have to go... Yukino and Lucy... my friends... they need me... and right now they are the only two I can do anything to help..._

_... even... even if that means leaving you here and leaving Lector in Minerva's hands, damn it... and now Sting is right to be angry... because... I'm useless, and I've mucked everything up and made it so complicated... I'm so sorry..._

_... I've messed up... I..._

There was single drop of moisture that managed it's way passed her closed eyelids and onto the floor, and with it there flared a bright flash of pain in her chest she hissed at.

"... I'm so sorry... for all of it... please forgive me." Hora breathed, her eyes opening again as she locked gazes with him a second time- and this time her familiar deep blue eyes flashed an eerie, unfamiliar icy blue.

" _Sleep_."

Rogue's eyes dropped and his body went slack near instantly, his weight falling into her for a few brief seconds before Orga's hands moved forward and caught the Shadow Dragon Slayer with ease. Saving Rogue falling to the floor, and in time too- because Hora cringed and doubled over a bit, her hand clutching at the shirt over her chest as pain sparked through her body from the depths of her core.

Rufus was next to her in an instant, deft hands reaching out and steadying her as she waited for the pain to subside and jaw clenched hard enough to crack teeth. She did her best to stifle the hiss of pain rising up her throat, and failed quite miserably- and her eyes snapped shut against it.

She missed the way Sting went rigid at the show of pain, his body turning as he glanced over his shoulder toward the way Hora was bent over with Rufus holding to her elbow and waist- the pain etched into her face and the sound of her hissing and her breath hitching with it. His blue eyes glittered as he traced over the blood spattering her skin and the paleness of her features for about the hundredth time since she arrived panting in the Guild Hall- and he saw how much her legs were shaking... She was shaking all over. He grimaced, pain and worry etching into his expression in lieu of the anger and agitation that has flared so quickly at learning... All of it.

Orga sighed and hoisted the now clocked out Rogue up a bit and let him fall into the bed- Frosch mewed softly and lighted down on the pillow next to his Partner. The Exceeds's eyes darted over toward Hora in question as she stood there and leaned into Rufus for a few tense seconds.

Hora sucked in a sharp breath of air and regretted it. The threat of coughing that had been lurking that whole time managed a way to fruition- and her hand moved up to cover her mouth as the raspy, wheezing coughs racked her body for a few long minutes. When it was done she knew there were specks of blood on her palm- she could taste the iron liquid and her chest burned like cold fire... And her breathing was nowhere near level.

_... Damn it... Lixue I thought you said I could use your power...?!_

_'... Perhaps a little warning, next time.'_ Lixue muttered, he sounded just as pained as she felt. ' _And as a correction- you did use my Power just now... I simply did not tell you it would not be painful when using it.'_

_That would have been nice to know._

_'Why are you surprised? It was painful to put the Salamander to sleep before, why would it be different now?'_

_... I thought that the pain would fade over time..._

_'Not that quickly.'_

She grumbled, standing up a bit straighter and leaning on Rufus less as she closed her hand tight to keep sight of the blood to a minimum. "Are you alright?" Rufus asked softly, his eyes searching as she glanced up at at him, and nodded- once.

"Yeah... Using his Magic just... Sucks right now." She mumbled, Rufus quirked a brow.

"Twice now you've said 'his' in reference to the Lacrima in your body." He murmured, Hora blinked.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Orga grumbled softly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck a bit. "Ain't it just a rock?" He glanced towards Sting as he said it, and the White Dragon Slayer had his arms crossed over his chest and still with his back facing the bulk of them.

"Indeed." Rufus murmured, "And I do not recall you using a Spell such as the one you just used to put Rogue to sleep either, shall I assume you can choose to use the Ice Magic in the Lacrima to some degree?"

Hora straightened up a bit more, and Rufus pulled his hands back to himself as he waited patiently for an answer. She paused though, biting the inside of her cheek and sighing.

"... It's complicated, but yes." She mumbled, "It's not like it's just Magic trapped in the Lacrima- it's literally the Life-Force of the creature that used to be whole, and physical and alive. So in some weird way, I have this... Condensed living being in my body in the Lacrima, and he's not technically alive but he is... At least enough I can talk to him..." Hora trailed off, grimacing to herself as her hands fell on her hips and her eyes dropped closed, musing. "...mmm... I dunno how to explain it without it sounding really crazy... But it's just how it is. He has a mind of his own and some semblance of control over his Magic- and I have control over it to to some degree but it's more like... I'm working hand in hand with Lixue to use it, sort of with permission but not really... I just haven't been able to use that half of my Magic- and his Magic- since Jiemma put the Possession Link on us. It sort of blocked it off all these years for some reason..."

 _'It is meant to be a partnership, but regardless you have more control than I do.'_ Lixue commented, _'It is appreciated you look for my permission most of the time however... You are one of two who has ever worked with me, instead of simply taking.'_

_Right..._

"Lixue...?" Rufus hummed,

"You sayin' ya got some monster's voice running around in your head all the time?" Orga asked, Hora grimaced.

"... I told you it sounded crazy..." She sighed,

"Sting, ya got the voice of a Dragon running around in your head cause of that Lacrima in you?" Orga didn't seem to hear her and turned on Sting instead,

"Of course not." Sting growled lowly, Hora wilted at the anger in his tone.

"I have never caught you seeming to be talking to yourself before." Rufus commented, Hora sweatdropped.

"... I try not to talk out loud." Hora mumbled, "... And as it is, Lixue... Well I didn't start hearing him again until after what happened when Jiemma found out I helped Fairy Tail..." Rufus nodded a bit,

"... Intriguing." he murmured quietly, Hora bit her cheek.

"... I'm going to get into the details more, I promise... I just don't have time right now." Hora mumbled, "... I'm sorry I just dumped all of this on you guys, but.."

"Do not worry about us." Rufus cut her off gently, "Today has been tumultuous, for all of us, and especially you. You are right to want to save Yukino and Lucy, we will not stand in your way." he paused, his eyes flashing. "Just be careful, yes?"

"Yeah, keep us in the loop on this whole thing." Orga grumbled, "And don't go running off to fight the King without givin' us a heads up, got it?" Hora nodded slightly,

"Yeah, I'll explain what happened and the plan when I get more info." Hora promised quietly, "And I'll be careful... I should be back in a few hours." She cast a glance back at Sting but he didn't bother to glance her way, and she sighed.

_... He's really pissed at me..._

She shook her head a bit and started toward the door, only to pause before she ever moved when Frosch called her back. "Atia...?" Frosch mewed softly, she sidetracked a bit and stopped at the edge of the bed Rogue and the Exceed were on.

"Hmm?"

"... Is... Are Lector and Yukino going to be okay...?" Frosch stammered, Hora stiffened at the question- she could feel everyone else do the same. She swallowed, nodding her head as her hand came down gingerly on top of the Exceed's head.

"... Yeah... they'll be okay." Hora murmured, "... We'll figure all of this out, don't worry."

_Everything has to be okay... I've screwed up a lot but... But I want to fix things._

She looked for Sting's eyes as she left the room, but he was refusing to look at her, and somehow that hurt worse than Jiemma trying to tear that Lacrima in her chest apart.

_... I just maybe... I don't know how..._

_... Damn me..._

 


	27. Highest of Stakes

**Chapter 27**

**Highest of Stakes**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas**

**.:+:.**

"... Who the fuck cares about all of that?! Let me go right now! I'm gonna tear that bastard apart and then I'm gonna rescue Luce! How could you dumbasses just let her run off like that?!"

"Calm down, Natsu."

"It's not like your 'friend' gave us any choice after she knocked you out. She just left."

"Dude you need to chill."

"The hell I do! She ran off to face the asshole who was killing her! She's in trouble!"

"..b...but Natsu, Hora didn't seem like she was worried about it..."

"Of course she wouldn't Happy! She was willing to let that bastard get away with all of that bullshit, and insisted she had to handle it all by herself! She's fucking stubborn as hell!"

" _You're_ fucking stubborn, Flame-Brain."

"Natsu-san, you just woke up, you should really try not to get too wound up..."

"Perhaps instead of screaming like a child you should explain just what is going on. You clearly understand more about what happened to 'Horatia' than anyone else- who is she to be facing and why are you so angry about it?"

"None of you have managed to tell us much."

"We don't even really understand what happened. As it is, we only just met the chick, and she ran off right off the bat after the kid did her thing."

"She tore up a shit-ton of stuff too. We had to rush out of there before the Council Knights or the Kings Army came in to arrest us."

"With the amount of power that woman had, what adversary could she be facing that would worry you so much, Natsu? Surely she could handle herself- even after the ordeal she seemed quite fine."

"I'm not worried she can't kick his ass, I'm worried she's gonna go too far!"

Hora grimaced slightly, her eye twitching at the loudness of his voice on her ears, even from the distance she was at, he was fucking loud.

"PLUS I WANNA KNOW WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED! AND WHAT SHE'S BEEN KEEPING TO HERSELF THE WHOLE TIME! I'VE KEPT FROM ASKING, AND I'M DONE DOING THAT!"

. _... You and everyone else, Salamander..._

She sighed, her steps leading her down the last stretch of street in front of the entrance to the Sun Bar and alone in the midnight light of Crocus around her. It was so quiet outside of Natsu's voice, it was almost peaceful... But the day had been anything but.

And she wasn't sure if it was nerves or weariness or what, but that sense of dread that had been hanging over her? It hadn't gone away, which meant that what Jiemma had done and that thing that had swept her away were not the worst things to come... Which would spell for something even more terrible approaching, and that was a chilling thought.

She'd sidetracked a bit back at the Inn to wash off the blood from her hands, and arms and everywhere else, and just altogether clean up a bit, since she was a mess and she saw it in the mirror. She straightened her clothes and brushed through her hair a bit after doing away with the bulk of the grime, and then stuffed a multitude of items in her Requip in case of need. She had the Calling Card in her back pocket and knew the other one connected to it was back with Sting, Rogue, Frosch, Rufus and Orga... Though seeing as how Rogue was conked out and Sting wasn't really talking to her right now...

Her eyes narrowed at the ground, her core aching at the thought. But she pushed it away as quick as she could.

... away from that... She looked less a mess now and she'd hurried down the hill and back into the heart of Crocus growing steadily closer to where Fairy Tail was. She'd passed by a number of soldiers and Rune Knights milling about and avoided them, they were out and about with the destruction she'd caused, as she heard one of the Fairy Tailers mention. And she didn't expect anyone in the Guild to try and call her using the Card right now.

_Probably better they don't interrupt... I'm gonna have a lot to handle with the Fairy Tailers... Natsu especially... And..._

_... damn it Hora... Just don't stare at him like an idiot._

Her fingers tapped lightly against the door into the tavern and the tension and knotting of her core got just a bit worse. She could hear Natsu yelling a few incoherent things, and figured he was tied up and unable to move, lest he'd have already stormed from the building. She hesitated on opening it for a few seconds, before growling under her breath and stepping inside slowly.

"... You can quit yelling Salamander... And there's no need for you to go rushing off either." Hora muttered lowly, her eyes closed and still able to tell that the eyes of everyone in the Building snapped around toward her sudden arrival. She pushed the door closed and glanced up to see him strapped to a support beam, eyes wide and looking still so very wonderful as she met his gaze, and she frowned slightly, "... Need I remind you how well that turned out last time? Especially when I asked you _not_ to get involved?"

A quick survey of the room found the group that she had run into before- Gajeel, Juvia, Wendy, Carla, Natsu, Happy, the black Exceed, and... Gray too.

And to add to it was Erza, Laxus, Mirajane, and the Guild Master.

And all eyes snapped over toward her, a mix of surprise and suspicious looks as Hora swallowed a bit under the stares.

"So this is that girl from another Guild, huh?" Laxus grumbled under his breath, Mirajane's head tilted slightly at Hora in intrigue.

"I clearly needed to get involved!" Nates snapped back hotly from his place on the floor, Hora grimaced. "How could you not tell me that asshole had that Possession Link thing on you?! And what he could do with it?!"

Erza blinked in surprise at the words, her eyes narrowing at Natsu and then at the new arrival. "Possession Link?" she hummed, "... Natsu asked what they were, and that you'd mentioned them to him, but I am confused on how it could harm someone as drastically as Wendy and the rest described." The redhead said to Hora, and Hora wilted a little.

"... I'll try my best to explain things." Hora mumbled, her eyes dropping as she started forward into the room and toward Natsu. "... Sorry to drop in sort of unannounced and uninvited, by the way... I understand the bulk of you don't really know me enough to trust me." She added softly, her eyes flicking sideways toward Gajeel, Juvia and Gray as she passed them by near the door, and hating the way her attention lingered on the latter a bit too long.

"Hora!" Happy trilled, nothing but a blue blur as he darted through air and toward her. He crashed into her chest and she caught him- by now prepared for him, unlike the last time. She bit back the wince she almost let loose at the sudden contact, biting the inside of her cheek as she patted the Exceed's head a few times.

"... Hey, Happy." She mumbled, pulling him off and holding him up in front of her. "... Try not to crash into me too hard if you can, alright...? Still a bit sore..." He blinked, nodding.

"Sorry, I didn't think about it.." He mumbled, wings flaring as he pulled himself out of her hands.

"It's fine." Hora murmured softly, her walking continuing forward until she halted, again.

She sighed silently, this time stopped by Wendy as she got closer to Natsu. The smaller girl stepped forward, her eyes shinning, and in the meantime Hora completely missed the suddenly stiff and defensive posture that Gajeel, Gray and Juvia had adopted after she moved passed them.

"Hora, are you alright?" Wendy asked quickly, "I've been worried... Are you feeling okay after everything...?"

"You certainly look a little better, at any rate." Carla commented, Hora nodded.

_The wonders of washing off blood and dirt and all else..._

"Yeah, I'm good." Hora hummed, her hand falling gently on the bluenette's head and offering up a weary smile. "Don't worry about me for now sweetheart." Wendy blinked at the name, blushing slightly even as Hora took her hand back and moved to crouch down in front of the bound Natsu. Her deep blue gaze matched with his onyx one and he frowned at her, looking no small amount of agitated. Her elbows settled on her knees as she tilted her head at him, "You still look like crap, Salamander." She commented dryly and he scowled,

"So do you!" He snapped back hotly and she grumbled, her hand lift as she knocked the side of it against the top of his head lightly- cutting his words off with ease.

"Yeah, well you can't really blame me for that." She muttered, "I get that you got your Magic drained and all, but eating any amount of my Fire when I was like that was just stupid. Even for a Fire Dragon Slayer... One would have hoped you had the better sense to think about what you were putting in your mouth before you did it."

"It's fire, I can eat whatever the hell kinda fire I want to!" He argued hotly, and she sighed.

"Fine tough-guy, pretend all you want that you're stomach's not killing you right now." Hora grumbled and he faltered a bit at the words, and that was answer enough to tell her he didn't feel so hot right now... And that was her fault. "... I think at this point we've established my Fire isn't normal... Less so when I was like that. It is my fault for not warning you before though, so that's my bad. But until it's out of your system you really should just cool it." She settled her chin in her hand and let out a low breath, "... Sorry for putting you to sleep too, by the way. But it really was better that way... Busting in and starting a fight would just make things harder."

"Hora, that asshole has to pay for what he did, he can't just get away with all of this-!" Natsu snapped,

"He's not a problem anymore." Hora muttered lowly, and Natsu faltered at the way her tone changed. But neither of them had time to go further down that train of thought, because Hora stiffened the instant she felt the tension in the room change and the stares she was getting turned downright _nasty_. She could feel something like someone looming behind her and her heart skipped a beat, glancing over her shoulder to see that many of the people in the room were looking at her with dark, angry glares. And especially the bulky form of Laxus and the tall ones of Erza and Mirajane were imposing, and she swallowed.

"...uh...?" Hora mumbled,

"You're _SaberTooth?"_ Laxus growled lowly, his eyes flicking from hers and toward the icy blue Guild Mark painted on her shoulderblade, visible now with the tank top she had on. She froze for a second, lost on what to do or even what to reply as her eyes darted among the people and the anger in their eyes.

And why not? SaberTooth hadn't been kind on the Games and after what Minerva did this morning...

"...u..uhm... yeah, but I sort of thought you already knew that...?" Hora stammered quickly, ".. ah... I mean, didn't you already see my Guild Mark back when you guys found me...?" Hora asked, her eyes falling on Wendy (who of which looked the least suspicious among the many, by the way) paused.

"... No, actually." Wendy smiled nervously,

"Those weird-ass black markings that were all over you covered it up." Gray snapped lowly and Hora flinched without meaning to.

"O-oh, really...? They don't usually... Do that..." Hora stammered, nervousness getting worse by the second.

_I totally just walked in here like I owned the place and they didn't even realize-_

"It is appreciated, what you did for Wendy and Carla. And though Natsu, Lucy and Happy seem to trust you, what your Guild and your comrades have done cannot be so easily overlooked." Erza told her curtly, "What concern is Lucy and Yukino to anyone in SaberTooth? You threw out your own Guild-mate for a single defeat, I find it odd to think you'd be concerned with her welfare now."

"SaberTooth is our number one enemy right now." Gajeel grumbled lowly,

"And the Guild with our anger directed at it, after this morning's events in the Navel Battle." The Fairy Tail Guild Master said lowly, his eyes piercing as Hora caught them. She paused, before growling under her breath and Hora pushed herself up on to her feet again, her eyes flashing as she glanced among them.

"SaberTooth isn't what you, and everyone else think it is. Most of us are not bad people-" she started,

"And why the hell would we trust your word on that?" Gray cut her off and she stiffened, "Your Guild's been nothing but ruthless in the Games so far, and the way all of you guys have been acting? 'Bad people' seems like the right way to describe it."

"How can you say that about your Guild when you all allowed one of your members be thrown out for _one_ loss?" Juvia grumbled,

"I'd hate to make a snap judgment about every member of a Guild, but SaberTooth hasn't shown much to be optimistic about." Mirajane muttered, Hora's jaw clenched.

"... tch... Look." She growled, "I showed up here with Wendy and Carla and I refused to tell you what Guild I was in even when I knew it would make you suspicious of me-"

"Because you must have known you would not be treated kindly if we knew you were a part of SaberTooth." The black Exceed (who's name she hadn't a clue still) said lowly, cutting her off, and she growled, her agitation rising.

"Hell no." Gray muttered hotly, and there were a number of nods from everyone else at the words. Even Wendy nodded tentatively, though she seemed reluctant to jump into anger and distrust. Happy was watching tensely and Natsu was- for once- silent, with his eyes fixed on Hora and the annoyance and firmness growing stronger in her expression.

"That had nothing to do with it." Hora shot back lowly, "I couldn't give a damn if you didn't trust me, I had no hope you would if you knew I was in SaberTooth. I've long since accepted the fact that people automatically hate us, and I do not blame you."

"The reason given for your silence, was that it would land you in trouble." The Guild Master broke in calmly, Hora looked to him again. "That contact and assistance to other Guilds would come with repercussions, and at the hands of your Guild Master, yes?" Hora nodded stiffly,

"Yes, he forbade it. Jiemma was always more interested in keeping power and prestige than he ever was with anything else. For years we've been doing what we had to in order to keep the public image of the strong, powerful and ruthless SaberTooth standing. We couldn't do anything that would make us look weak or kind or soft- we had to out up a face and act like we were the best of the best and the true 'Number One Strongest Guild'- even if that meant alienating other people and coming off to the world as cruel. We had to make it look believable and keep the act up no matter what. We've had to go to extremes to keep up with his idea of strength and convince him and everyone else we _meant_ it. Even the smallest hint of hesitation, guilt, compassion, gentleness or regret and we paid for it." Hora told them steadily, her eyes flashing.

"And what could your own Guild Master do to any of you that would make you act like such assholes?" Gray muttered behind her, and Hora grimaced.

"... I wouldn't expect you guys to understand it. You're part of a Guild that you feel safe in and have called a home for a long time, right? And with a Guild Master who cares about you all?" Hora grumbled, her head tilting toward the Old Man who's eyes narrowed at her. "Simple fact of the matter is that Jiemma was a complete bastard. He hurt us, and abused us- every chance he could get. And his daughter latched on to the cruelty, and started dishing it out as fervently as Jiemma did." Her hands fell on her hips as her eyes flashed. "Talk out of turn and risk having him send a blast of Magic at you. Lose a match- be forced to erase your own Guild Mark and be thrown from the Guild- maybe even earn a beating for good measure. Do any little thing that he didn't like- you get hit, thrown around, beaten, threatened, blackmailes, humiliated- you name it. And to add atop it, you have to just sit there and take it- if you complain or you try and fight back, he went after you ten times harsher... Sometimes harsh enough to do serious damage." Happy and Natsu flinched at the words, their eyes dropping to the floor as everyone else in the room just stared, fixed. "We don't want to be like we are, but we've had to act like that for fear we'd get hurt or worse." Hora grumbled,

"None of you ever tried to fight back?" Erza asked lowly, Hora grimaced.

"No, for the bulk of the Guild they've never tried to fight back because they were either too afraid of Jiemma, or they didn't think themselves strong enough to win against him." Hora muttered,

"If you're saying he's really been treating all of you like that, fear or strength shouldn't matter. Any of you should have tried to do something about it before now." Mirajane murmured,

"That'd be asking them to go against the one person that scares them the most. And the one person who would do _literally anything_ to get his way- who is also backed by Minerva. Jiemma's powerful in his own right, but Minerva is more so. She's not an easy person to take on and hope to win against." Hora muttered, "Even I'd have a hard time trying to beat her, and I'd probably risk losing my sanity in the meantime..." She added softly, almost all to herself.

"So why not just leave?" Gajeel grumbled,

"Despite Jiemma and Minerva, SaberTooth is still a Guild. People work for money to keep themselves afloat, and get jobs... but it is more than that. We've made friendships, and we care about each other- those relationships are not something we can just walk away from lightly." Hora mumbled, glancing over her shoulder toward the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Could any of you walk away from your Guild and leave the people you care for behind so easily?" The Iron Dragon Slayer's eyes narrowed as he seemed to grumble internally at the question,

"Even if staying means getting hurt?" Gray asked lowly and Hora's eyes flashed, her posture wilting a little as she spared a glance over toward him.

"... In my experience, leaving behind and losing the people you care for, is far worse than any injury or hurt." Hora said softly, her eyes glittering as his eyes narrowed at her, almost confused. She cursed herself in her head and forced herself to look away, her eyes dropping closed as she sighed.

_Stop it Hora you fucking idiot-_

"Look, I don't expect you to understand it, it all sounds fucking crazy... and it really is. It's not the sort of thing you don't really get unless you lived it... the fear and the doubt and everything else... Rationally it totally makes sense, and is even _easy_ to say we should have 'done something', or 'stood up for ourselves and stopped all of it'. And in all respect that is what _should_ have happened. But it wasn't that simple and there were too many things that could wrong and some of them that _did_ go wrong... and there was a lot of things none of us were willing to risk, and me especially... it's all just such a big mess." Hora grumbled, "But I do mean it, when I say that they are not bad people. They're actually pretty good people, they just haven't had a chance to show it... and I know they hate how they've acted and what they did. They didn't want to do those things, and they hated what Minerva did this morning as much as you did." That earned disbelieving looks from everyone but Natsu, Happy and Wendy.

"You kept saying 'they' and 'them'. Like you were excluding yourself." Erza pointed out lowly,

"You're talking as if _you_ aren't afraid of Jiemma, like they are. Or Minerva for that matter." The black Exceed murmured, Hora let out a hot breath.

"That bit is complicated too, but the short answer is I'm _not_ afraid of _them_. I never have been... _they_ don't scare me as much as the idea of what they might do to everyone else does." Hora muttered lowly, her dark blue eyes flashing in agitation and barely muffled anger. "To be honest, I couldn't give a damn if they went after or hurt _me_ \- I can take that, and I have taken that."

People all around blinked in surprise at that, while Natsu just let out a grumble under his breath- but Hora didn't pause.

"But I have absolutely _hated_ watching any of the rest of my Guild get hurt or worse at their hands. Seeing any of my friends get hurt by Jiemma or Minerva- I've hated _all of it_ , but I couldn't do a damn thing about it- and I hate _that_ even more." She hissed, one hand lift to point at Natsu though she didn't open her eyes to look at him. "And before you say a damn thing, Salamander- I _know,_ okay? I remember everything you and Lucy all said about friends trusting each other and telling them things when something's wrong or other people are gonna get hurt. I've had you and Sting and Rogue and literally _everybody else_ in my life snapping my head off about not telling the truth- so it's been fairly well established I suck at being a friend and I _definitely_ suck at the whole honesty thing. And I tried to be more honest, but I didn't get very far and that's on me- but to make things worse, today has been a _terrible_ day and I'm so god-damn worked up that I went up to the Inn and found what insanity had transpired there- and I went into full blown _brutally honest_ mode!"

Hora's hand fell and she placed it back on her hip again, her voice raising and all the more agitated by the second.

"I dumped a shit-ton of information on their heads in the course of a few minutes and I unloaded on them all at once- and yeah, I wanted to do better, and I wanted to open up and be honest and tell them everything- but I felt like I got rushed into it, and I didn't know what to do so I just fessed up! And I probably made everything about ten times worse! They were freaking out and Rogue was a goddamn mess, and I was pretty much backed into a corner and had no choice!" she said lowly, "And they were _persistent_ , and they were doubting everything already since _you_ ran in and started spouting all that shit about Jiemma having something on me!" She snapped hotly, "And I understand why you did that- I know after what Yukino said to you, you were pissed and worried and I _get it._ I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you, but I didn't say anything for a reason! You are a notorious hot-head and I didn't want you to get hurt by barging in, and I didn't want you to give anyone in my Guild a reason to get involved and into a place where they would be in danger too! But even if I get it, and you might have had a point and all that- I will _not_ apologize for throwing you across the Inn!"

She was pacing now, back and forth in the small little space between the bar counter where the Fairy Tail Guild Master sat and the door, the rest of the Fairy Tailers spread out on either side and watching her as she continued.

"... so she's the one who clocked Salamander on the jaw the other night?" Gajeel grumbled under his breath, Lily beside him nodded slightly.

"Must be." Lily mumbled,

"And to make it all worse- you were _right_ , Salamander! Annoyingly, you were right about Jiemma having something on me- and because you came in and started ranting about everything, Rogue figured out something was wrong even when I tried to pass it off! He knew I lied and he _literally_ backed me into a corner! And at that point I just broke, and I told him about the Possession Link and what Jiemma could do, and had been doing and it _sucked!_ And then this morning when Minerva did all of that to Lucy I was barely keeping myself back! I wanted to tear her to shreds and I was _three seconds_ away from saying fuck it and jumping down into the Arena to give her a piece of my mind! But since Rogue knew about the Possession Link and what Jiemma might do- he stopped me from going down there, and I was so worked up I almost went after _him_ when he did! _Rogue!_ The same person I have known and been friends with for eight freaking years! And I got two inches away from punching him because he stopped me from going after Minerva- and he did it because he didn't want me to get killed!"

She stopped with her back to the room, right in front of the door and growling. Black stretched up slowly along her right arm and around the scar, and the eyes of the Fairy Tailers latched on to it, though Hora didn't seem to notice.

"Graaaahhh... that _fucking Possession Link!_ It'd been eating at me for so long, and I always hesitated telling any of them about it- and I hated telling them now! Because you open the can of worms about a Possession Link placed by Jiemma, on a Lacrima in my chest, you get in to the fact that he could use that Link to destroy the Lacrima and keep tabs on me and keep me on a metaphorical chain and I couldn't leave! I couldn't fight back, I couldn't resist- and not because I was afraid he was gonna kill me- no! But because I wouldn't dare die and leave everyone in my Guild alone with that bastard and his bitch daughter!" She snapped, her eyes shut tight and seething as she stood rigid in her spot. "But then you get passed that and open _another_ can of worms about the fact that it's a Lacrima I need to actually stay alive. Because it's that Lacrima that keeps the one half of my Magic from killing me, and making it harder to lose my sanity. Without it, I get burned alive from the inside out and maybe take a few people out with me on the way! But of course that just brings up all sorts of other questions I've been trying to avoid for most of my life- 'what is your Magic anyway?' 'Why does it suck so much?' 'What's a Devil Slayer and why does your Magic feel so evil, huh?' Does it drive you insane- yes, yes it does! It's corruptive and it's wild and it has a mind of it's own and makes you want to just... just _burn_ everything and everyone and that's hard enough on it's own, and it's damn near _impossible_ without the Lacrima and Lixue trying to keep you sane! And it just gets so much worse when you get hurt, or you get worked up- about anything! And today has been a plethora of things to get worked up about!"

The Fairy Tailers tensed slightly, eyes glittering as they felt the air start to slowly warm up in the building. They glanced between eachother, looking a bit unsure of what to do as the Saber woman continued to... well, rant. And about things that were so bad. _Terrible_ really.

"First with what happened with Yukino and Natsu barging in- and then I fess up with Rogue, and then Minerva hurt Lucy, followed by Sting and Rogue getting their asses handed to them and losing- which landed them and all of SaberTooth in hot water! And then I get snatched away by some crazy, creepy, weird thing and dropped on the other side of Crocus that's talking about an 'Eclipse Gate' and the fact that I was supposed to die- and then I almost _did!_ Because while I was on the opposite end of the city, every semblance of sanity and order in my Guild got obliterated- and then in all of that _insanity,_ that bastard Jiemma tried to use the Possession Link to break the Lacrima and kill _me!_ If you lot hadn't been out and about because of whatever the hell happened with Yukino and Lucy, and Wendy hadn't managed a way to break the Link- I would be dead!" Hora hissed, her hands falling on top of her head and pacing back and forth- again. But she still wasn't looking at the Fairy Tailers and she didn't see the surprise and the shock that appeared in their faces.

Both at the idea that a Guild Master could ever try and kill a member of their Guild, and the sudden appearance of that- 'Eclipse Gate'.

"I've ended up in more near-death situations in the last three months than I ever have in ten years! It's like I'm in some ridiculous pattern with this Guild!" Hora muttered hotly, her hand gesturing backward toward the lot of them- _Fairy Tail._

"First I help you with something and then I end up getting screwed over, and then you help me with something somewhere down the line- and it starts all over again!" She snapped hotly, her hands waving at them and still pacing. "I help find Wendy and Carla- Natsu barges in to face Jiemma and I get hit and then I have to fess up to Rogue, Jiemma tries to kill me- and then Wendy shows up and breaks the Possession Link and saves me dying." Hora hissed, her hand held up and index finger extending with each part of the 'pattern', and ending with three. "I agree to help Lucy, Happy and Natsu finish their job to find that necklace- in the middle of which we get captured and I nearly get my neck cut open- but then quickly followed by you saving me and even doing more so by keeping me sane when I was losing my mind when I was out there all alone!" She was counting on her fingers still with that iteration of the pattern, before she waved her hand over her head in agitated animation, and the Markings on her skin started to spin.

"And all manner of that leading back to the first instance of that damned pattern! I help locate Tenrou Island and ship the information off to Hibiki in Blue Pegasus- Jiemma and Minerva somehow find out about it and he nearly beats me to death- but all of that just circles back to the fact that if you hadn't come back from Tenrou, Wendy wouldn't have been here and I would have died tonight!" Hora snapped, "And none of that is your fault, of course, even though it probably sounds like I'm yelling at you! But I'm just ranting now and I'm worked up to all hell and I-" She broke off, her eyes snapping open and finding her reflection on the window. She could feel the burn of the Markings but she hadn't realized how far they had stretched, or how fast they were moving.

_Shit_

"-I'm getting too worked up. And I've probably raised the temperature in here, and I just ranted and said... all of that. A lot. All at once... aaaand most of it not really something you should be worried about so... so... ah, Sorry, I'll try to... quit." Hora muttered, stammering slightly, and her arms crossing over her chest as she forced a sigh. The Markings receded slowly and she chewed on the inside of her cheek, "... sorry I wasn't planning to just... say it all at once like that... _again_..."

_I'm a fucking mess..._

_'Quite. Though it seems keeping all of that to yourself for so long has made the information something of an overflowing dam- and now the walls have mostly crumbled.'_ Lixue commented,

"... That doesn't help, Lixue..." Hora muttered under her breath. Hora wrung her hands together in front of her nervously, slowly turning to the interior of the building that had fallen deadly silent for a few moments after she shut up, her eyes glittering and swallowing. "... Ah... I'm not actually crazy by the way..." She mumbled, "... My life is just a mess and I didn't mean to dump all of that on you..."

Hora paused, her eyes darting across the faces and seeing the bulk of them (save the Guild Master and Laxus) all staring at her and quite lost for words. Some of their jaws had even dropped and Wendy and Happy looked on the verge of tears,

"... That certainly was... A lot." Erza said slowly, Mirajane nodded slightly.

"And there were a few things I have questions about..." Mirajane mumbled,

"... Indeed." Makarov murmured,

"... Wait a minute, _you_ helped find Tenrou Island...?!" Gray, Natsu and Gajeel all snapped at once and Hora jumped a little.

"What the hell?! Why didn't you say anything about that when we met?!" Natsu asked quickly, struggling against his bonds again. "W-wait a minute, what Yukino said happened- Jiemma hurt you that badly because you helped _us?!"_

"W-well yeah..." Hora stammered nervously,

"Why would you even care?! Why were you looking for Tenrou in the first place?!" Gray pressed and Hora swallowed,

"That is a good question." The Fairy Tail Master said calmly, "I was aware that Blue Pegasus had received information from an outside source, but they hadn't a clue who sent it. You have no previous affiliation with our Guild, so if it was you who helped locate the island again- why did you?"

Hora tapped her fingers together in front of her, fidgeting almost as she bit the inside of both cheeks. "... U-uh well... uhm... the reason is a bit... Complicated, and a little weird... Sort of... Philosophical, I guess..?" She started uncertainly, "Ah... So like there's this thing I sort of believe in, about Slayer Magic.. Like they're super old Magics and they play a part in the balance of the world and between good and evil and stuff like that... There's this old legend I read once, about different sorts of Slayer Magics with all the same Element coming together in a sort of ritual or something that decides the fate of the world and Dark Magic over Light... But the thing is, you kinda need Slayers for all that, and Balance keeping and such so..." She trailed off, grimacing when she saw the stares she was getting. "... So there were four Dragon Slayers on Tenrou that were down for the count, and a God Slayer, and that was a really big blow to the Balance theory and everything, and I wanted to right it... If I could anyway." She paused, her eyes falling on her fingers as she tapped them together a few more times.

_Slayers were the main thing... But if I'd known about Gray I would have..._

Her eyes darted toward her Brother for a few seconds before she looked away again.

"... That was one reason I guess... The other was more just... I knew how hard it hit the rest of Fairy Tail when all of you disappeared. I couldn't really get close to other Guilds or anything, and most everyone just disliked me on principal since I'm SaberTooth, but I could... I could still see how much they all missed you, and once I figured out the island was still there and you might be alive, I wanted to help if I could... Make them feel better..." She grimaced a bit to herself, her cheeks flushing a bit in further embarrassment out of nowhere. "... Plus Rogue and Sting had always wanted to meet Gajeel and Natsu, and if you were alive they could... finding out that the island was there meant I could help the people in Fairy Tail and maybe even help Sting and Rogue too... That all probably sounds really cheesy though..." She shut her eyes against the way she felt her face heat up even more.

_Why am I so embarrassed right now...?!_

The Fairy Tailers blinked though, a little surprised with the way her voice dropped and her cheeks grew red, and the sincerity in her voice when she explained herself.

There she was, a Mage of SaberTooth and a complete stranger to the bulk of them, and she had just thrown out no small amount of information in the course of a few minutes. All of it news to all of them, and most of it unfathomable, and worrying, and shocking.

SaberTooth as a whole was just a Guild filled with people being no less than _abused?_ By their own Guild Master and his daughter? And all of them frightened and intimidated into being the terrible, ruthless, unlikable Guild they had all gotten used to?

And in the abuse, it sounded as if Hora had received the worst of it. Not just being hit or threatened, but reduced to being trapped and kept a prisoner, and with her Guild Master having direct hold over something that kept her alive? And had used that hold tonight to try and murder her?

And then there was all that about her time spent with Happy, Lucy and Natsu- of which the rest of them knew little of. And then on top of that the bit about her Magic, and how it worked- and she said _Devil Slayer?_

And more, she mentioned something grabbing her and she mentioned those words that rang so heavy on their ears now; _Eclipse Gate._

Then drop on top of all things hard to wrap their heads around and making their minds whirl- this _SaberTooth Wizard_ and this _stranger_ had been the one that ferried information about Tenrou Island over to Blue Pegasus and helped return the Tenrou Team after seven long years? And for some weird philosophy/legend/balance keeping with Slayers sort of thing? But not just that, also because... She didn't like seeing how torn up those in Fairy Tail who got left behind were? Because of her own _compassion_ and _sympathy?_ For _them?_

All of that- all the crazy and the information and the river of things about her life and what had been happening to and around her- it was all _real_. The Fairy Tailers weren't sure how they could tell, but they could tell she wasn't exaggerating... And that was crazy in itself.

How does anybody's life turn out so fucking insane? And how do they even live with it? And how does anybody sound so genuine and truly pained by the idea and the fact that they had to let their friends get hurt and treated badly, and really not have any way out of it? Not just about her own friends in her own Guild- but she meant it when she said she hated what happened with Lucy that morning, and the anger in Horatia when she thought of Minerva was the same anger they had all had burning inside themselves.

_This chick..._

_... Her life has been hard, hasn't it?_

_... I think maybe I can see why Natsu, Lucy and Happy all seemed to latch on to her. She seems a surprisingly kind person, I suppose I couldn't expect that from a member of SaberTooth._

_I still can't imagine a Guild Master would be so cruel... He tried to kill her._

_... She risked her own hide to help find Tenrou too, and paid for it... She's not even fazed by the fact she got beat to hell either._

_... Tch... Maybe SaberTooth really isn't what it looks like... Just maybe._

_She seems embarrassed about her reasons for helping... almost modest, hmm?_

_She did find Wendy and Carla simply for the sake of helping... even when it could get her in trouble._

_She said she didn't care if she got hurt or even got killed- her first priority is everyone else, everyone she cares about..._

_... This woman is almost ridiculously nice. And loyal..._

_... Hmm... What did the First say? She has the same heart as this Guild...?_

"U-uhm..." Hora fidgeted in the sudden silence, glancing between them and their stares in quick succession.

_... Did I... Overload them...?_

"Your kindness, and the passion of your loyalty to your Guild and friends is admirable, as well as incredible, given it seems your life and circumstances have been quite trying."

Everyone in the room stiffened in surprise at the sudden soft voice, and their eyes snapped around toward the source. The Fairy Tail Guild Master jumped as there suddenly came to be a young blonde girl sitting beside him on the bar counter, and Hora jumped too, her eyes widening as the dark blue suddenly flashed a brilliant gold for a few seconds before fading again.

_Her again..._

The blonde smiled sadly for a few seconds toward the Saber woman, Hora's eyes attention fixed on her just as Mavis was in turn. The other Fairy Tailers glanced between Hora and Mavis, all of them taken back by the fact that Hora could see the First Guild Master- even if they had been told she was able before... Seeing is believing.

The solemnness of Mavis' expression faded as her head tilted and a more bright and amused smile pulled at her lips. "Though I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised, I had already seen this kindness when you helped locate Tenrou Island, and more so when you assisted Wendy and Carla. And it certainly should come as no shock, after you described yourself to me as 'a big softie'." She chuckled brightly, Hora blinked.

Her eyes darted from the blonde and toward the floor as her cheeks flushed further, fidgeting almost. "Oh... R...right... I forgot I said that..." Hora mumbled under her breath, her hand running along the back of neck in her embarrassment.

 _'... It's an apt description.'_ Lixue intoned quietly, Hora grimaced slightly as she let her eyes drop closed for a moment at the comment.

_Shut up..._

Mirajane, Wendy and Erza smiled slightly at the Saber Wizard's embarrassment, while everyone else remained either expressionless, exasperated, or just altogether uncertain of what to make of the situation. Needless to say, none of this is what any of them could ever have expected nor imagined.

"So you really can see the First, huh?" Laxus was the first to break the silence, and the question was probably one of the lowest ones the list of things they wanted to ask- but it needed be asked anyway. Hora jumped a little at being addressed by the large blonde so suddenly, her attention snapping over toward him and her fingers tapping together nervously again. He just held her gaze, expression flat as can be and almost... Daunting.

Let's be honest, Hora had seen that man defeat all of RavenTail like it was freaking _nothing!_ She was not at all comfortable with being stared down...!

"... Ah.. Yeah..." She mumbled,

"Why?" Was the next utterly flat question, she paused this time.

"... It's... It's a thing, with my Magic and how it works... I can pick up on and see through Illusions and stuff, usually automatically..." She started, her eyes averting to her fingers and she bit the inside of her cheek. "... I'm like hyper-aware to changes and Spells in Magic that run along those lines... So it's typically hard to fool me with Illusion Magic at all, and I can just see through it right away when it happens..."

She did not see it, but this bit of information earned narrowed and wary eyes from Laxus, Makarov and Mavis all. Because the minute she explained that, all their thoughts turned to the suddenly very real possibility that Horatia had been aware of, and able to listen in on what RavenTail's Guild Master had been looking for when confronting Laxus the other day.

_Does she know about-?_

"... Though in regards to seeing your First Guild Master, it's sort of the opposite... Wherein I'm actually picking up on the Illusion Magic straight away instead of just seeing through it like what's supposed to happen..." Hora added softly, and much too low for anyone to hear... _Because that really isn't important right now...!_

"You said you're a Devil Slayer." Erza murmured, shifting the conversation herself and Hora looked up again. "I have heard of Dragon and God Slayers, but never Devil Slayers. Being a type of Slayer Magic, I assume it's similar to the others?"

"But you also said it does things to you... Like warp your thoughts and actions, as well as your emotions?" Mirajane asked softly, Hora swallowed. Her fingers tapped together nervously a few more times as her eyes dropped and she bit the inside of her cheek, oh so very aware of _all_ of their eyes on her, and fidgeting under them.

Of course they wanted to ask about that, her Magic... And everything else she'd just ranted about. Understandable, inevitable... But she hated herself for spilling so much at once, because she knew she was overdue on the 'explaining things', but again... _Right now, most of that isn't important. At least, not more important than whatever it was that happened with Lucy and Yukino._

Hell if she would have any easy time avoiding the questions and asking about that, though.

_I hate myself... Why did I rant like that...?_

_'It was unwise, and a bit of a distraction, in the grand scheme of things.'_ Lixue commented, she huffed.

_You could have tried to shut me up, asshole._

"... Ah... It does." Hora mumbled softly in reply to Mirajane, deciding for a moment it was probably best to explain at least this part. "... It's hard to explain, but... Devil Slayer Magic is a more... Volatile sort of Magic than most. It's powerful all on it's own, but it also feeds off of your emotions and your thoughts, and it has a way of... well, more of a _want_ to steer the person it's inside of toward doing... bad things." Her fingers tapped against another just one more time, before stalling and her eyes fell shut. "... the longer you have it... the harder it is to keep resisting it, and keep from going insane... that's just... how it is, with this Magic..." She mumbled under her breath, grimacing slightly as she let out a low sigh. "... Having Fire as the Element makes it worse, since fire itself is wild and consuming just naturally... so mixing that with Devil Slaying Magic just makes something... way too powerful."

 _'Which is why you need me.'_ Lixue hummed, she ignored him, before she stiffened. Her eyes moved upward and she winced internally, nervousness ramming into her again, and very, very quickly.

"A-ah, uhm... a-all that being said, I promise I'm not some sort of threat or anything...!" She stammered quickly, her blue eyes glittering. "I'm fine, I've never actually done anything terr... well, like super evil or anything...! I've stayed pretty well put together, and you needn't worry about me going nuts or anything either..! I managed to stay sane even when I didn't have the half of my Magic meant to keep me that way...! And now that bit is back now, so I'm gonna be good as long as I keep a hold on my anger and... uh..." She cut herself off when she realized she was rambling again, and she was only getting flat or otherwise wary stares from everyone in the room. Her hands moved up to cover her mouth, noticeably wilting as she shook her head at herself and muttered 'idiot' and a few other names for herself under her breath.

"...I'm not really building myself the best case... or any case at all... I'm... I'm just gonna shut up now..." She mumbled quietly from behind her hands.

"... You are very odd." Erza told her after a few moments of silence, and Hora flinched a little at the comment, wilting further.

"... Sorry..." Hora apologized quickly, Erza simply blinked at the reply. "... I know this is all... Its a lot, and I know its confusing, and most of you just don't know me at all... And I know you have questions. It wasn't really my plan to walk in here and unload all of this on you, and I'm sorry I did... We probably have better things to be doing then trying to explain away my issues..." Hora mumbled, her hands shifting from covering her mouth and instead holding the back of her neck as her head bowed a bit, her bangs hiding her eyes from view. "... I'm sorry... Pretty much all of this isn't your guys' problem... I wasn't trying to make things more complicated... And I wasn't trying to distract you from Lucy and Yukino either..." Hora apologized softly, biting the inside of her cheek now. "... Sorry... For all of it..." She sighed, Wendy and Happy's eyes flashed at the apology and Natsu grimaced from his place on the floor. Everyone else though just watched, fixed and quiet as they saw that strange woman from SaberTooth suddenly lower herself, bowing to them and so sullen... So genuine, and so regretful.

Erza exchanged quick glances between Mirajane, and then Master Makarov and Mavis beside him, silent words seeming to pass between the lot of them, before the redhead stepped forward and suddenly moved to clear the distance between herself and the bowing Saber. Hora heard the footfalls of the armored women, and she tensed on instinct, her eyes snapping shut as she readied herself for whatever it was that was headed her way.

Erza's hand came down lightly on Hora's still bowed head, and so very gently at that. Hora felt her heart skip a beat, her eyes snapping back open and staring at the floor and Erza's boots, quite lost for what she was doing, and stuck in her spot for it.

_W..what is she...?_

"You needn't apologize, Horatia." Erza murmured softly, and Hora felt her heart skip another beat at how calm the redhead's voice was. "You've nothing to apologize for, especially not after what you've done to help us, with both Tenrou, and Wendy and Carla, and then Natsu, Lucy and Happy." Hora swallowed, shivers running down her spine as Erza's hand lift up and patted her head lightly a few times. "It seems things are more complicated than anticipated, and much of which has caused more harm than good, especially to you... And more than you deserved." Hora stiffened at that, her mind reeling at the words and... And such kindness and tenderness in _Titania_ than she could have ever imagined- especially toward _her!_

_I'm SaberTooth, and she hardly knows me... Why... why is she being so nice all of a sudden...?!_

"You have it wrong, though." Erza said next, and Hora's thoughts shattered in sheer surprise and confusion. The redhead's hand moved away from patting her head and Hora couldn't help but glance up, still bent over and her dark blue eyes glittering in question.

"...huh...?" She breathed, and Erza blinked, her hands falling on her hips.

"Natsu, Happy." Erza said the names suddenly, and both boys jumped in surprise at suddenly be addressed. Erza's eyes trailed toward the two, neutral and firm and utterly steely, it was impossible to guess what it was she was feeling, or what she was getting at.

"... Yeah?" Happy and Natsu mumbled in unison,

"Do you consider this woman a true friend, and trust in her?" Erza asked simply, her head tilting toward Hora in gesture and the Saber woman's eyes went wide at the question. Natsu and Happy seemed just as surprised with the question too, but they faltered no more than a single second before a smirk drew across Natsu's lips and Happy grinned, his paws clenching into fists.

"Hell yeah." Natsu replied without skipping a beat, and Happy's tail lashed.

"Aye sir!" The Exceed trilled, his voice as steady as Natsu's was and Hora stared at them both. In front of her, Erza nodded once and smiled coolly, her attention turning back toward Hora.

"Very well, that's settled." Erza announced and Hora glanced back toward her very slowly, "Any comrade of our Guild-mates is a comrade of ours. And with that, whatever ails you, or whatever problems you may face, become a concern to the rest of us." Erza said rather matter-of-factly, and Hora felt her heart stop altogether this time around. "So you are wrong to say that the things that are troubling you, are of no concern of ours. You are our ally, and we shall not sit idly by while a friend is in need."

Forget her heart, she felt her breath get snatched away- she couldn't _breathe!_

_F-friend...?!_

She couldn't fathom it- none of it! How had things turned so quickly?! A minute ago she'd been stammering and trying to defend herself in this room full of people who distrusted, and quite frankly, _disliked_ her! A minute ago she'd been the stranger and the perceived enemy of near every single one of these people, and a minute later she was being called comrade, and ally... And FRIEND?!

_Titania the Fairy Queen just called me friend?!_

_W-WHAT?!_

She could feel herself trembling from sheer shock, eyes wide and jaw dropped yet utterly lost for words as Erza smiled still so calmly, and her eyes quickly snapped from her and toward Natsu and Happy, and they were smiling too... And then she found Wendy, and Carla and they had small smiles of their own, just as Mirajane did, and the First Fairy Tail Guild Master... W...what..?!

_W-why... Why are they...?! How can they...?!_

Her eyes snapped across the rest of the Fairy Trailers, and she saw little of that wariness and suspicion that had been so very potent to start. In fact she earned small nods from a few of them, and she shivered.

"Even if you're from SaberTooth, if Happy and Natsu trust you, we should too." Juvia murmured softly,

"And here in Fairy Tail, we do what we can to help all of our allies, regardless of where they may come from." The black Exceed murmured,

"You helped us, Hora. Of course we consider you a friend!" Wendy chirped softly, Carla beside her smiling coolly as she nodded in affirmation.

"You seem like a nice girl, despite the less than ideal first meeting, and everything else we've assumed about SaberTooth.." Mirajane smiled gently, Hora's hands wrung together at that, her face flushing slightly in embarrassment. She bit the inside of her cheek, her heart pounding now and desperately trying not to hyperventilate- especially as she earned a small nod from Makarov and the First Master both.

_This doesn't... how are they...?!_

_How could they have suddenly gotten so... so nice out of nowhere...?! T-They were ready to fight me a few minutes ago...!_

How did one simple response of 'yes' from Happy and Natsu suddenly turn into the rest of the Fairy Tailers suddenly... suddenly _accepting_ her?! At least sort of?!

_ME?! The SaberTooth Wizard and absolute stranger who just walked in and dumped so much crazy in their laps?!_

_They have no reason to trust me or like me, let alone call me friend or comrade or anything, and they have no reason to kind or nice or polite or anything...! A-and all of a sudden...?!_

_People just don't... they don't do that! N-not this fast...!_

She stiffened though, her eyes catching Natsu's briefly as he gave her a small smirk. She swallowed, her heart fluttering and her intertwined hands wringing together more tightly for a moment.

_... t...this... this is almost exactly like... when I met Natsu, Happy and Lucy... they called me friend... In so little... Time..._

* * *

_Natsu stood with his hands on his hips, his expression neutral as he glanced down toward Hora steadily. "Friends gotta stick together and trust eachother."_

_... they keep saying that word... like it's natural... like It should be... obvious..._

_"...heh...?" She huffed, words seemed apt to just fail._

_He smirked slightly, "Ah, come on don't give me that face. We're all friends, yeah?" Her breathing caught in her throat this time around, her eyes gleaming as she saw Lucy smiled slightly her way._

_... friends..._

_"... even if I'm Saber...?" Hora mumbled, it being the only response she managed. Honestly, hearing them say it so easily... they'd only known eachother a few days, and certainly not long enough... well..._

_"Of course!" Lucy said quickly,_

_"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not." Natsu smirked, "A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."_

_"That's right. We like you as a friend for who you are, not what Guild you're a part of." Lucy assured easily._

_Hora glanced slowly between the both of them, her hands pressed lightly against the ground between her legs and her shoulders sagging slightly._

_They just kept smiling, so content and so serious about it all._

_... But she'd never dared call them friends out loud, not until weeks had passed, not until she was sure they had to have felt the same way. Because who would consider a total stranger 'friend' after no more than three days?  
_

* * *

_T...they were so quick to do it... But I'd worked with them at least... The rest of these people, they just met me tonight... H...how...?_

_...how can they look like they're willing to try and accept me... And even start to consider me as a friend... Only after ten minutes...? And after everything that's gone on...?_

Hora's eyes glittered, her heartbeat loud on her ears and still holding her breath without meaning to as her mind and her thoughts and her feelings struggled to come to terms with... With this utter _turn_.

_... What the hell even... Is this Guild...?_

"... Hmph, I could care less what Flame-Brain thinks."

She went absolutely rigid, the rapid beating of her heart stalling for the second time in the last few minutes, and she felt and icy cold rush through her so deep and so biting it was more potent than she was used to from even Lixue's Magic.

She thought she would freeze, and she wished she had, because she hated how quickly her head snapped around and landed on the one person in the room she was having the hardest time just... _not_ looking at. And the utterly neutral expression on his face as her dark blue eyes matched his made her heart ache, terribly.

She swallowed, her hands holding together more tightly and so tight her knuckles turned white, her eyes glittered as Gray let out a small huff, oblivious or ignorant of what sheer pain, guilt and even fear ran through Hora's expression for the most fleeting of seconds. Juvia beside him blinked, her eyes narrowing at the Saber woman and looking confused- more so when she saw the way that Horatia began... _she's trembling?_

Natsu saw it too, the way Hora started to shake, almost imperceptibly so, but she definitely was. And he'd seen how incredibly tense she seemed to get when Gray said anything- she had been tense before, yeah- but as soon as the Popsicle spoke up, she looked ready to have a heart attack. Natsu's onyx eyes narrowed, his fangs biting down on the inside of his cheek and grumbling internally as he watched Hora closely, trailing over the rigidness of her shoulders to the grip of her hands around one another... to the way she was shaking, so, so faintly, and to the sound of her breathing picking up, just a little- and not enough anyone without his ears would be able to tell.

Erza still standing in front of the SaberTooth Wizard watched quietly, her eyes looking over the girl with just as much attention and detail as Natsu was- of course Erza could see it, she and Hora were standing too close together not to be able to notice... but like Natsu, Erza hadn't a clue what spurred that reaction.

_... is that... fear...?_

Gray let out a slightly forced sigh and shook his head at himself, his eyes breaking from Hora's fixed attention and grumbling under his breath a bit in exasperation.

"... Natsu's not known for being smart about the people he hangs around with. And Happy usually isn't much better." The Ice Mage grumbled, and Natsu scowled at the words, his attention on Hora forgotten as he glared at Gray from across the room. Hora herself seemed to stiffen at the words, her eyes flashing as she watched him and her heart sank further and further with each second. Gray trailed off for a minute, his hand rubbing the back of his neck and frowning as he seemed to muse for himself for some time, and musing seemed to leave something of a bad taste in his mouth- Hora felt her heart not only falling in the pause, but cracking piece by piece too.

His arms crossed over his chest as he seemed to deflate a little, and shot Hora another look she seemed to swallow at, but there wasn't much else other than wariness in his expression... and resignation...?

_Gray..._

"... but I guess if Lucy and the First seem to think you're ok, and you did help us out with Tenrou, and Wendy and Carla... you can't be that bad." Gray said at length, and almost grudgingly, but Hora hardly noticed. Her eyes went wider, glittering like mad and her heart suddenly deciding to beat again, and on such an ultra-high of a tempo it was almost painful against her ribcage.

_Why... why did hearing him say that... feel so good, but hurt so much...?_

_'... because you know he still distrusts you, and knowing that from your own kin... it is a terrible feeling.'_ Lixue told her softly, gently almost, and the painful, churning sensation in her stomach and her soul got a little bit worse. But she ignored Lixue, all her attention was on Gray and her thoughts were quickly beginning to spin faster and faster, and eventually- out of control. 

She wanted to _tell_ him, so, so badly- just right then. She wanted to forget what was going on and what had happened, and she wanted to come right out and say it.

_Gray, it's me... your little sister._ _I didn't know... all these years I thought you were dead...! All these years, I thought that Deliora..._

She _wanted_ to say it. She wanted it so bad she almost needed it, and it hurt. She wanted him to know it- to realize who she was, as she had realized who he was in an instant. She wanted to tell him what happened after Deliora, hos she survived, how long she'd been alone, and she wanted to tell him- and apologize to him- that for all these years she'd given up on him and never thought to see him again. She wanted to apologize for never looking for him, she wanted to apologize that she never realized he was in Fairy Tail even when she was looking for the Slayers and the Island. She wanted to apologize for not knowing he was here, in this same city and in the same Guild as Natsu and Happy and Lucy, and she didn't realize it.

She wanted to apologize for leaving him alone... for letting him be alone for however long he was after it all happened, and before he found somewhere else to call home. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was that she had ever lost him at all, and she wanted to tell him how much she hated herself for what pain and ache he must have felt when he thought back on it all.

He... he had to feel it too, right? That same ache and pain and hurt that she did whenever she remembered everything? When she thought about him, their parents, and their village?

He... he must have missed it, right? Missed them? Missed her...? He must... He must have felt that ache so heavy and so cold and so biting in his heart when that terrible night came to the forefront of his thoughts, right...?

She faltered though, and she felt her heart break again as one thought found her in all the storm of them, and she felt the sting of tears in the back of her eyes.

What... what if he's forgotten about all it? What if he's pushed it all away, and vowed never to touch it again...?

_What if he's... moved on...? What if I try to tell him... and he doesn't want to remember?_

_What if... he's forgotten... and... and let go of me... forever...?_

_What if he doesn't..._ **_want_ ** _to remember me...? O-or..._

_'... grim thoughts, Horatia.'_ Lixue hummed softly, she shuddered. _'You shouldn't be so quick to think he's erased you from his mind... you've held to the idea of him all this time, yes? Why would he not do the same?'_

She wanted to believe in what Lixue said, she really, really did... and maybe she did. But what if telling him did more good than bad? What if revealing who she was, just brought back everything that had haunted him? What if she brought back everything that had ever hurt him?

_What if I hurt him?_

She felt like she'd been lost in her own mind for years, but time dragged by slow as ever and Gray never paused, he just sighed and shrugged- and still he was unaware of the struggle and the storm raging in her heart and her mind.

"Even with all the crap SaberTooth has pulled, I guess it wouldn't be right to lump you in with the rest of them when you haven't really done anything..... and if you guys have really been in a bad way......" Gray mumbled, trailing off as he shook his head a bit at himself. "... So I guess for now it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and get along with you..."

"Besides, it's sounding like some of the crap that's going wrong with you is related to our own trouble." Gajeel grumbled lowly, Gray nodded toward the Iron Dragon Slayer in affirmation of the words, and still Hora couldn't take her eyes off the latter. "We might be able to solve both our problems at the same time, and maybe clear a few things up too."

"Indeed." Master Makarov murmured lowly, nodding toward the Iron Dragon and his eyes trailing toward Horatia slowly. "Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning of what transpired tonight? You mentioned that you had an encounter with some entity that spoke of the 'Eclipse Gate'?"

Hora's eyes failed to move toward the old man though, she was still rigid and transfixed on that raven-haired Ice Mage, and this time Gray seemed to notice the rather off behavior when she failed to react to Master Makarov's question. He blinked, his brow quirking at her and looking off-put. "... there a problem?" He asked lowly, and she jumped, time catching back up with her and reality too as she realized she did it again. All her thoughts and emotions running rampant through her shattered, leaving her with little but panic, and a feeling of such emptiness and a rush of lightheadedness that hit like a train. Her legs were shaking now, and had been for a long time without realizing it, and once his voice snapped her from her head and her worry she staggered slightly, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat and she saw his question turn to apprehension- a look shared among Juvia and even Gajeel, and then concern started to trickle into the faces of Wendy, Happy, Natsu and Erza alike.

"Eh, you ok...?" Gray mumbled uncertainly, Hora felt the lightheadedness quickly shift into something more akin to vertigo, and she felt whatever warmth of strength in her body slipping away as her overload on worry, fear, guilt, shock and heartache sapped it all but entirely.

_S..shit..._

She couldn't find the will to stay upright anymore, and her legs felt the same no matter how much she needed to be 'ok'. It was all she could do not to tilt, her eyes finally leaving him and the suddenly very blurry form he had adopted in her eyes. Her knees gave out and she started to sink quickly toward the floor, her shaking hands catching traction on the hardwood in front of her as she sank into sitting on her heels, hunched slightly and panting a bit now as she fought to catch her breath again after having forgotten to breathe for a long while there. Her fingers dug into the wood floor as she pressed her hands against the ground between her knees, shaking a bit more now and shaking her head against the out of nowhere bout of dizziness.

"H-Hora...?!" Happy, Wendy and Natsu all snapped.

_... d... damn it... I can't... I can't think about all of that and... and freak out like this... I'm in no shape to handle it..._

The sudden loss in posture from Hora made many of the Fairy Tailers jump, concern and shock flashing over their expressions. Erza moved a bit closer from where she had been standing in front of the girl, her eyes glittering and hand extending toward the Saber Wizard, but falling short as if she wasn't sure the contact would be welcomed. Wendy on the other hand didn't hesitate to rush forward, the bluenette hovering as she took a quick knee beside the SaberTooth Wizard, eyes glittering like mad and worry etched into her features. Happy was close behind, ears pressed back against his head and shaking as he stopped in front of Hora, his paw landing on her knee.

"Hora, are you alright...?!" Wendy asked quickly, her hands falling gently on Hora's shoulder and back, and her eyes searching for the older girl's but not finding them, not with the way Hora's head was bent and her eyes closed.

"...w-what's wrong...?" Happy mewed shakily, Erza moved herself a bit, before taking a knee as Wendy did beside the SaberTooth Wizard, silent and calm despite how quickly Hora's health seemed to fade just then.

Hora forced herself a long, slow breath. She could hear Wendy and Happy ask the questions, and she was aware that she had the wary attention of the room, and the worried ones too. And she _hated_ how quickly her strength failed her in the midst of her own internal turmoil.

"Are you still feeling weak from earlier..?" Wendy asked quietly, and Hora grimaced.

The answer was yes, but that wasn't what had hit her just now... and she couldn't explain why she'd... freaked out.

_I can't_

She forced the breath she took in out slowly and straightened up from being bent over so she was more settled on her heels. One of her hands moved from the floor and pushed her bangs back from her face a bit, the other landing in her lap as she shook her head slightly, and her eyes opened to catch Wendy's gaze. Hora smiled, her hand finding a faintly flustered place on the back of her neck as she tried to give the bluenette a reassuring look.

"Ah, no... sorry..." Hora murmured quietly, Wendy's head tilted. "I wasn't trying to freak out or anything... ah... I'm just not really used to other Guild's being so... accepting..." She hummed, chuckling a bit nervously as Happy and Wendy both blinked in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you... I'm just kind of reeling. Most of my first encounters with other Guilds go really bad, so, ah... having you guys being all nice out of nowhere... I'm not really used to it, and I kinda... don't know what to do with it, either... heh..." She trailed off, biting the inside of her cheek a little. "... I'm okay, I'm just surprised is all... I wasn't expecting that... you guys are... kinda weird..." She added softly, before cutting off again in embarrassment. She waved her hands in front of her a bit, "I-I mean that in the nicest way...! Please d-don't think I'm insulting you, or anything...!" She stammered, Wendy and Happy smiled softly at the embarrassment, as did a few others.

"We take no offense to it." Erza told her lightly, earning Hora's attention now, and for the first time realizing the redhead had taken a knee in front of her. Hora blinked, before smiling a bit more and nodding just once. "Are you sure you're alright though?" Erza asked next, and Hora felt her stomach churn.

"Yeah, are you okay...?!" Natsu butted in too, pulling at the ropes that still has him bound and earning Hora's eyes for a brief moment.

_No_

"Yeah." She replied softly, to both Erza and Natsu alike. "... I am actually still pretty worn out from earlier, but I am okay... you guys just caught me off guard." She mumbled, Erza nodded, though Natsu looked none-too-convinced from the corner of her eye... She ignored it.

"I can imagine." Erza replied softly, "I would suppose finding out you're a member of SaberTooth doesn't sit well with other Guilds."

"Not usually.." Hora murmured, though... _well, actually- Lamia wasn't that bad, huh? I mean they were pretty prickly to start, but that wore off after awhile of spending time with Sherria, and Lyon and..._

Her attention on Lamia broke off when what dim sense of a question that had been asked by the Fairy Tail Master suddenly managed a way to register in her mind. She stiffened, nervous still as she quickly glanced away from Erza and shifted on the ground a bit to more face him directly, her hands folding together in front of her.

"... Ah... You asked me about that thing that I mentioned, and the 'Eclipse Gate' thing, right...?" She asked slowly, addressing the old man now as he nodded. "... Sorry, I guess we kind of got off track..." Hora mumbled, her hands hooking behind her neck as she let out a sigh, and her eyes dropped closed for a moment. She bit the inside of her cheek, frowning faintly as her thoughts slowly worked to move back to the matter at hand and away from all things... _Gray..._

_... Damn it, stop Hora... Focus..._

"... I can tell you what little I know about that bit... But is it okay if I ask what happened to Yukino and Lucy first...? Natsu said they got captured by the King's Army, for treason? And for a Project with that name, 'Eclipse Gate'?" Hora murmured slowly, almost uncertainly as the old man blinked at her. "... I realize I just ranted about a lot, and you all have.. _A lot_ of questions, and that's fair... But Lucy and Yukino are the main reason why I'm here." she explained, her nervousness fading only slightly in lieu of firmness. "I have to ask, since that is why I came. And I really don't have any clue what 'Eclipse Gate' even is, whatever it was that snatched me from my Inn just said it, but that's it. And I don't know what that thing was or what it was planning... and I'm not sure that part is gonna help with anything right now." The Guild Master held her in a steady gaze as she said her piece, calm as can be, before his eyes dropped closed and he seemed to let out a small breath.

"... Hmm... After the events of the battle between Natsu and Gajeel, and Sting and Rogue, a discovery was made about a cavern underneath the Arena." He started slowly, and Hora blinked. "When Gajeel was whisked away in the middle of the battle, he ended up there- and upon seeing what the cavern held, he returned here and brought, Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Gray, Carla, Pantherlily, Wendy and himself back to it."

"... Cavern...?" Hora echoed, her eyes narrowing as she glanced between those mentioned and saw tenseness appear in them, the Dragon Slayers especially. "... What... Was in it...?"

"A Dragon Graveyard." Gajeel was the one to answer, his tone low and Hora's eyes widened in shock.

_G-graveyard...?!_

"... There were dozens, even hundreds of Dragon Skeletons..." Wendy intoned quietly to Hora's left, Hora swallowed.

 _'... How unpleasant...'_ Lixue commented quietly, though the lack of surprise in his voice caught her immediate attention.

"Wendy was able to connect with the spirit of one of the Dragons in the graveyard." Carla spoke up next, and Hora blinked several times at that.

_She said... Spirit...? Like... Like a ghost...?_

_'Do not sound so surprised. That child's Magic is powerful.'_ Lixue murmured, Hora grimaced internally.

_Ghosts and spirits, Lixue! Since when was talking with ghosts a thing?!_

_'Since always.'_ Was the dry answer, she wanted to strangle him.

"In doing so we were able to inquire as to what happened, and the Dragon we spoke with told us the tale of the first Dragon Slayers... And how they came to be." Carla went on, her tone dropping slightly and Hora bit the inside of her cheek. "There was a great war 400 years ago, between dragons. On one side were the dragons who wished to rule all, and the other side-"

 _'-who wished to coexist with the humans, as equals.'_ Lixue intoned, breaking into Carla's words and breaking Hora's attention. Hora stiffened in surprise, her eyes narrowing in confusion and intrigue. _'Rather than continuing on in a system where humans were little more than food.'_ Lixue hummed, and rather nonchalantly. Hora's eyes narrowed to slits at the comment,

_... Why do you know that...? ... Are you really that old, Lixue...? That you were around when...?_

_'Indeed.'_ Was the easy answer, _'Have I not mentioned my age before? Or this bit of history?'_

_No, not once._

_'Well, you never did inquire.'_

_Why should I have? And if you were there, what the hell were_ _**you** _ _doing in the middle of a 'great dragon war'...? You aren't a-_

_'-My life at that time is of little consequence, since shortly into that war, my lifeforce was channeled into this Lacrima, and I ceased to be 'alive'.'_ Lixue answered simply, and Hora swallowed. _'But away from that, perhaps you should just listen to what the Fairies have to say?'_ He suggested, and her jaw clenched in agitation,

_Well maybe if you would stop interrupting-_

"... The war went on for a long time, and much of the world suffered underneath it. Eventually the Dragons on the side of supporting the humans came up with a plan to win, and in doing so they decided to teach humans Magic that was meant to slay Dragons." Carla kept on talking, completely unaware of the interruption in Hora's mind, and Hora grudgingly took up Lixue's suggestion, and tuned him out all the way. She kept on chewing the inside of her cheek though, swallowing back her agitation and only faintly aware of Wendy and Happy still sitting on the floor beside her, while Erza had gotten to her feet and moved back to the place she had been to start with.

Though she did notice Wendy shudder from the corner of her eye, and she blinked at the bluenette in question.

"... They became the first Dragon Slayers, and with their help, the war was won." Carla murmured, "However, some of the Dragon Slayers got out of hand, and they began to slay the Dragons that were meant to be their allies. They became drunk off the power they earned, and the more they killed, the less human they became. Until eventually..." Carla's words faded away a bit as she sighed, and Hora saw Wendy's expression cloud in fear. "... There was one human among the many, who killed the most. What Dragons that are in that graveyard under the Arena were all slain by him. And he gained so much strength and power from the Dragons he slayed, that eventually he became a king among all Dragons... And then eventually transformed into a Dragon himself." Carla murmured lowly, and Hora's heart skipped a beat at the news.

_He... Became a... Dragon...?! A human...?!_

"... W...what...?!" Hora stammered, Carla paused. "W-wait a minute, how does that even happen...?! How does a human go from being a Dragon Slayer to being an actual Dragon...?!"

"We were shocked by it too." Wendy murmured softly, Hora's eyes found the bluenette instead of Carla. "... It's... Crazy... But apparently there's a catch that comes with being a Dragon Slayer. The more you use the Magic, and the longer you have it... Eventually it turns you into an actual Dragon." Hora's jaw dropped,

"You're serious...?!" She stammered, Wendy, Natsu and Gajeel all nodded as she glanced between them and she hissed a few curses under her breath. "B-but... That's gotta be all sorts of _not_ true! You guys have been Dragon Slayers for years and using your Magic all the time, and you're not Dragons! And neither are Sting and Rogue!" She argued quickly, "A-are you sure it wasn't a mistranslation or something...?! Cause that can't be a real thing-!"

 _'-it was an unfortunate side effect of the Dragon Slaying Magic, but it is real.'_ Lixue came back with his comments, and Hora's jaw audibly snapped shut. _'A development that the Dragons did not anticipate, as I recall... But it happened.'_

" _What_?!" She snapped hotly, her attention on Wendy failing entirely- though the bluenette jumped at the sudden raise in Hora's voice, and the agitation that appeared in it.

 _'You are speaking to me out loud.'_ Lixue reminded and Hora huffed, her fingernails digging into her palms.

_Don't you think Dragon Slayers turning into actual fucking DRAGONS would have been something important to know?!_

_'Not at all.'_

_WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NOT AT-'?!_

"A-ah, it doesn't seem to be like that...!" Wendy intoned quickly, Hora paused. "F-from what Arcadios said, Acnologia got turned into a Dragon by Zeref, and not just because of the Dragon Slayer Magic...!"

"... Ac... nologia...?" Hora mumbled, her thoughts shuddering to a halt on that one thing and Wendy blinked.

"Yes, that man who became a Dragon." Carla took over again, "It was Acnologia, though according to Arcadios, his transformation was a byproduct of Zeref's handiwork." Hora glanced over toward the white Exceed slowly,

_... That... Is that...?_

_'Yes. It was Acnologia.'_ Lixue confirmed, ' _And Zeref getting involved is true.'_

_A...ah... O..okay... But what about... The... The turning into Dragons...?_

_'... That is true, as I said. But it is not an issue you should be worried over. None of the Dragon Slayers in this age will transform, that side-effect was dealt with long ago.'_ Lixue explained, Hora let out a shaky breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. _'... As is why I never mentioned it. It is an unimportant detail, and there was little use working you up about it- as you clearly became very worked up just now, and for no reason.'_

_R...right..._

Hora shook her head a bit, trying to regain some of he'd composure again. "... Uh... Okay... I guess I... Get that... But who is Arcadios...?"

"He is a Colonel in service of the Royal Army." Carla answered, "And he was also in charge of the Project Eclipse Gate. We met him in the graveyard, along with Yukino, and they took us to the Palace to explain what the Project was." Hora perked at that, her eyes flashing.

"Yukino...?" She mumbled,

"She said she was a sergeant or something." Natsu grumbled, Hora bit the inside of her cheek.

"... Yukino told me she joined the King's Army, and she mentioned a Project she was asked to help with." Hora murmured, earning blinks and intrigued expressions from the Fairy Tailers. "Though even then, she didn't tell me anything specific. She made it sound like it was super secret or something, and important..." Hora trailed off, grimacing at the thought. "... So, this Eclipse Gate thing is what she was asked to help with...?"

"Yes. Arcadios told us that they needed a Celestial Wizard in order to make the Eclipse Project work." Carla murmured, "Though apparently he originally planned to only use Yukino, he realized that it would be a much bigger success if he had all 12 of the Zodiac Keys."

"... Which is why he took both Yukino and Lucy?" Hora grumbled, "Because between them, they have all 12?"

"... It was a bit more complicated than that." Carla murmured, Hora's head tilted slightly.

"From what everyone has explained, this 'Arcadios' man intended to ask Lucy and Yukino for their help, not force them into it." Mirajane explained, "He wanted them to be willing to help make sure the Project worked, and to make sure the Eclipse Gate did as it was made to do."

"... What the hell _is_ it supposed to do?" Hora mumbled, her eyes narrowing. "And why would he need the twelve Zodiac Keys to begin with?" There was a quick exchange of glances between the Fairy Tailers that made Hora grimace, her eyes narrowing at them all (while pointedly not looking at a certain Ice Mage...) as there came a small section of silence she didn't like, at all.

"... it seems impossible, but the goal behind the Eclipse Project is to defeat the likes of Acnologia, and Zeref both." Erza murmured, her eyes landing steadily on Horatia, who's own eyes narrowed at the words. "To do so, they plan to use the Eclipse Gate during the Eclipse happening on July 7, pairing that Celestial Event with the power of the 12 Zodiac Keys, in order to open a portal through time. In doing so they would travel back to the point before either Zeref or Acnologia had gained any power, and alter history so they no longer existed in it."

Hora blinked, once, twice, and then several times over as her ears rung with Erza's words, and what they were meant to mean... _I'm sorry, are we talking about time travel now?_

At a lack of a joking tone or look among the Fairies, and a considerable surplus of seriousness- _yeah, we are talking about time travel now... ooooookay..._

 _'... not an impossible notion, but the alteration of time and the persons who can do so are incredibly rare.'_ Lixue intoned calmly, Hora's fingers twined together in her lap. _'And Time does flow differently between different Planes of existence, so bridging this Eclipse Gate through the 12 Zodiac Keys, and the Spirit World through them, would likely make for some sort of road through time, if you could manage a way of controlling where that road and current in time dumped you out at. I think that's likely a functionality built into this Eclipse Gate itself..... or intended functionality.'_

_Good to see you're a voice of 'reason' in all this insanity... but seriously, Lixue? First ghosts are a thing, and now Time... Magic, or whatever?_

_'There are several Powers in this world you know nothing of, but that does not mean they do not exist.'_ Was the low reply, and she bit the inside of both her cheeks.

"... mmm... I guess that makes sense..." She mumbled lowly under her breath, her eyes dropping closed. "... and I guess if you think about the whole time stopping thing that happened on Tenrou... I can't really disregard there being ways to mess with Time on different scales... but wouldn't messing with the timeline that involves both Zeref and Acnologia, like... really mess things up?"

 _'It would change events in history drastically.'_ Lixue replied, _'There would be no rise of Zeref's Power, and for it, he would not help Acnologia change into a beast- so what destruction he wrought in all these centuries would never come to pass.'_ Hora nodded slightly, _'The same could be said for what Zeref has done, who he has killed, what civilizations he destroyed... the Demons he created.'_ Hora's heart skipped a beat and her eyes snapped open, _'... should Zeref never have existed, the Demons he created would likely never have existed either... and what destruction they caused, could be undone.'_ She swallowed, her eyes flashing as she stared at the floor.

_But... that would mean that... all that happened with... with Deliora, and my family...? None of that would...?_

_'Perhaps.'_ Lixue murmured, Hora felt a shiver run up her spine. _'But changing something as integral to this world's history as Zeref... well, doing so would have ramifications. And there's no one to say if what comes of altering time is worth the consequences that arise.'_

He was right. _Of course_ he was, she realized that in an instant. Because even if, somehow, what happened with her Village and Deliora just didn't happen- she would never have left, she would never have become what she was... and maybe she would have liked that. But if all of that happened?

_I would never have joined SaberTooth... and yeah, that means that Jiemma wouldn't have done what he did... but I wouldn't have ever met Sting and Rogue either, or Yukino, Rufus, Orga, Lector, Frosch... none of them._

_I wouldn't know them._

That made a heavy lump fall into the pits of her stomach, and she felt nauseous for it.

"... they can't do that." Hora murmured, shaking her head and glancing up again after a few moments of silence. "Whatever the intentions are, changing Zeref and Acnologia, and erasing them from history would just screw everything up. Nothing would be the same, everything we know and we lived through might never happen- and even if it got rid of some of the bad things- some of the good things could get wiped out too!" She hissed, "That's not to mention how much could actually change in the process! They might set of a series of events that lead to... to the world ending or something! And there'd be no way of knowing that beforehand!"

"You are correct, and those are the same fears that ended with Lucy and Yukino's arrest." Makarov murmured, "While it seemed to be Arcadios' plan to enact the Eclipse Gate, there was another man opposed to the plan- Darton, the Minister of Defense for the Kingdom." Hora's grimaced, her attention fixed on the old man as he sighed. "He betrayed Arcadios, and had him arrested for treason against the Kingdom along with Yukino and Lucy, since they are essential to making the Gate work at all." Hora's eyes narrowed to slits, her jaw clenching as a flash of anger ran through her.

"That's bullshit." She snapped lowly, "Yukino and Lucy haven't done anything wrong, you can't arrest someone because you think they _might_ do something!"

"But... Hora, Yukino sounded like she really wanted the Eclipse Gate to work." Happy intoned softly, and Hora stiffened. "... I mean, if you think of it that way... Yukino was willing to go along with the Project, so it isn't weird to think they would expect her to do something..." He mumbled, his ears drooping slightly. "... I mean... I kinda get it... but why would Yukino be willing to go along with changing the past...?" Hora's eyes flashed, her attention dropping to the floor as she wilted slightly.

"... she probably thinks changing Zeref's fate would change what happened to..." Hora mumbled softly, almost to herself and Happy perked slightly at the words. But Hora shook her head rather hotly, "... she has her reasons, I can understand why... but if she really knew what might go wrong, she wouldn't go through with it." Hora muttered lowly, and Happy blinked.

"Regardless, they were still taken unjustly." Erza murmured, "It seems that Yukino and Lucy both have ended up in the middle of an internal strife inside the King's Army, and their capture is likely just a way to keep them hostage until the Eclipse Project is done away with completely." Hora growled under her breath, forcing herself a breath. "We were told that we could save Lucy from such a fate, if Fairy Tail were to win the Grand Magic Games tomorrow." Hora's heart skipped a beat in shock, her eyes flashing.

"And it is our intention to win." Makarov murmured lowly,

"... even despite the fact we aren't sure if we can trust that Darton guys word on letting Lucy go." Gray muttered lowly, and Hora swallowed, her eyes nearly darting toward him again, but she stopped herself and looked at the floor.

"But if it means we have a chance to save Lucy, we'll aim to win at all costs." Erza murmured firmly, Hora flinched at the words as panic started to bubble up in her core. Her eyes found her hands in her lap, her nails digging into her knuckles as she held her hands together tightly, and she swallowed back what lump was forming anew in her throat.

_They want to win... they plan to win, for Lucy's sake... and after seeing what these people can do the last few days..._

She sucked in a breath of air and held it, fear ramming through her hard enough to make her wince.

_... we might lose... b...but we can't... Minerva..._

"... that... that's going to be a problem..." Hora murmured quietly, breathlessly almost as her voice quavered, and the Fairy Tailers blinked at the words, confused.

Hora frowned, her eyes dropping closed as she pushed herself up a bit and adjusted to sit cross-legged on the floor instead of on her heels as she had been. Her elbows met her knees as she bent her head a bit, her hands moving up as her fingertips on each hand lightly pressing together and palms remaining apart as she drew her hands in. Her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin, silent in the odd, and yet somewhat unique gesture as a silence seemed to fall over the Saber Wizard as she fell into her own head. The Fairy Tailers all around her blinked at the action, confused as to what it was and why she seemed to be thinking so intently out of nowhere- not that any of them interrupted, mind you.

Gray stiffened though, his dark blue eyes flashing and narrowing to slits as she watched Horatia move her hands into the odd form, her posture silent and rigid and thoughtful... and yet he swore he'd seen that before. That hand thing... but what...?

He grimaced, silent as his eyes trailed over her form and he grumbled internally, but said nothing at all.

Hora bit the inside of both cheeks, frowning to herself as she remained where she was sitting and her hands stilled where she had put them, her thoughts whirling as she fell further and further into her own mind.

They were told to win, in order to save Lucy... and Fairy Tail had been nothing less than an upset in the Games so far. They were a formidable opponent, and add on top a threat against one of their friends, and Guild-mate? Of course they were aiming to win, at all costs. She couldn't blame them for it, she didn't. She would have been happy to see Fairy Tail win, if it had not cropped up a bunch of issues already, but... but at the same time... she _couldn't_ have them do that!

_Shit... shit..!_

Her shoulders stiffened even further than they already had, her lips curling as she pressed her fingers against her nose and chin harder.

_They have someone they care about on the line if they don't win... but at the same time, we do too... shit, I can't ask them not to win, I don't want to ask them to forfeit the Games on our part, especially not if Lucy's in trouble... but what the hell else am I gonna do...?!_

Natsu beat Rogue and Sting _on his own._ Erza defeated 100 monsters _on her own_. Laxus defeated an _entire Guild on his own._ Gajeel was unscathed during the fight today even before he got sent off in a cart, and the rest of them? Of Fairy Tail? How could she have seen any of what she had the last few days, and not believe that the others in this Guild were just as strong? Or that they didn't actually have a chance of winning the Grand Magic Games?

She knew they did, she felt in her heart that same feeling and knowing that had hit her today when Natsu went against Sting and Rogue. She _knew_ they were going to lose... and she felt it in her soul that they... they might just lose tomorrow too, and that _terrified_ her.

If SaberTooth were to lose, then Minerva would make good on her threat to Lector. She _knew_ that too, because she knew Minerva, and how deeply her threats went. That little witch had her fingers wrapped around Lector's neck and she would not hesitate to hurt him the minute she thought that things were not going as she wanted them to.

And it was even worse now, she wasn't trapped anymore, Jiemma didn't have that god-forsaken Possession Link on her anymore. She could try, she could stand up to Minerva and her cruelty and she wouldn't hesitate to do it- but again, she _couldn't_ damn it!

Lector was that same leverage and hostage to her as he was to Sting and the rest of the Guild, and Minerva knew that. The minute Hora tried to do anything to get Lector back, or anything to disobey her, she would hurt him, so so badly and there was nothing Hora could do about it. She wasn't fast enough against Minerva's Magic, and Hora trying to fight back about it was what Minerva expected. Minerva would be ready for it, and that put Hora at the biggest disadvantage of all... and left her useless. Just as useless as she had been all this time.

_If SaberTooth loses, Lector gets hurt... and I can't have that._

_But I can't ask Fairy Tail to lose, not after all of this... not with Lucy in trouble. And I can't tell them why, not without making it clear that Jiemma is gone and... oh shit._

She cringed inwardly, her eyes scrunching closed harder.

_... crap... we don't have a Guild Master anymore, that's a violation of the rules of the GMG already, and even more so since Minerva's elected Sting... both of those are grounds for disqualification. And if SaberTooth gets disqualified, that'll make winning easier... and automatically condemn Lector. Minerva will know immediately I or someone else in the Guild would have to have told them about it... damn it, what do I do...?_

"Oi, Hora! Why would that be a problem...?!" Natsu's (very loud) voice snapped her from her thoughts, and her hands snapped away from her face, swallowing as she glanced sideways and caught his eye. "And while you're at it, it's about time you tell us what the hell happened?! What the hell happened with that bastard Jiemma and that Possession Link thing?! I've been waitin' long enough, it's time you explain it!" He pulled against the ropes binding him, eyes blazing and jaw clenched as Hora wilted under the glare. "You told me that you would tell me what the hell is going on, Hora! You can't back out, not again!" Her heart twisted when she saw the worry in his eyes again, fear and concern hidden under frustration and panic.

She knew what she'd said, she knew she promised to tell him... it was passed time to tell him, she knew that. And still she hesitated, and she hated it... she didn't want to hesitate, but at the same time she didn't want to mess things up more than they already were.

_Damn it... what am I supposed to do...?_

"Hora!" He snapped again, clearly seeing her hesitate and getting all the more frustrated for it. She looked away from him entirely, letting out a long, low sigh and biting the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood.

"... is winning the GMG your only plan?" Hora asked softly, her attention shifting back to the Guild Master, who narrowed his eyes in question. "If Fairy Tail wins the games, you might get Lucy back, and I understand that's something you're willing to fight for... but you can't trust the Army's word on that, right? And even more so, there's no guarantee that Yukino is gonna be let go either... I can't leave her there, so regardless of what you decide to do... I am going to try and get her back." Hora murmured lowly,

"Don't ignore me, damn it!" Natsu snapped, cutting in again and Hora's jaw clenched.

"I am not ignoring you, _Natsu_." Hora replied shortly, her tone dropping suddenly as she shot the pinkette a steely look he flinched at. "But you need to understand, what happened is complicated and telling you might muck things up, badly. I want to tell you, and I know I said I would... But all that has happened tonight has made it so that if I choose to do or say something to any of you, some of the people I care about are gonna end up hurt, or worse. I have to be careful, and I have to make sure that what I decide to do, is the best thing... Alright?" He faltered slightly, his eyes glittering and very confused, but he knew she was serious, and that was enough. Hora looked away from him and back to the old man, "I need to know what you are all planning to do." She murmured, "If you have some plan to go and rescue Lucy regardless of the outcome of the GMG, I need to know, and I have to go with you so I can rescue Yukino. And if you really do intend to win the GMG, and I think you have a chance of it... we need to be on the same page about what doing that means." Hora's voice dropped slightly, tenseness working it's way into her posture again. Makarov simply held her in a silent stare, silence falling between the two of them for a few moments, before he nodded.

"We intend to send a small team into the Palace during the Games tomorrow in order to rescue Lucy." He murmured, "As a failsafe, in case we do not manage to win the GMG, or the Army does not keep it's word." He added, "Though seeing as how our opponent is the King, we must tread lightly. If you are intent on rescuing your friend, we will not stop you. Your help would even be appreciated, given the delicate situation... if you are up for it." He told her, and Hora nodded.

"I'm up for it." She answered without skipping a beat, he nodded just once.

"In the event we do win, what does that mean for you?" Erza asked slowly, steering the conversation back toward what Hora had said first. "And why would it be cause for the people you care for, to get hurt?"

"... and what does that have to do with what happened to you tonight...?" Wendy murmured softly, Hora grimaced. She paused, sighing as she grumbled under her breath a few choice curses that were too low for anyone to hear them.

_Please... please don't let me make a mistake..._

"... listen, if I tell you any of this, you have to keep it to yourselves." Hora murmured lowly, her eyes on the floor. "... you can't tell anyone outside of this room, and I have to ask you to please... please don't do anything that would get SaberTooth disqualified... and above everything, you cannot let Minerva find out that I talked to you, at all. Not that I was here, or that I'm going to help you, or that I told you what is going on in my Guild... SaberTooth _has_ to play in the Games tomorrow, and everyone else in the world has to believe that _nothing_ is wrong." Hora muttered lowly, her eyes moving upward and settling on the Fairy Tailers one by one, firm and steely yet almost pleading.

And under all of that?

_Scared_

"If I tell you, you need to go into the Games tomorrow and act like you don't know about any of it. Minerva cannot suspect that you know what is really going on, and she cannot suspect me or anyone else in the Guild of helping you, or telling you the truth. Minerva _cannot_ find out about any of this. No matter what you feel, if you're angry or disgusted or whatever the hell else- you cannot confront her about it directly, and you cannot talk about it with her. She can't know, not on anything." Hora hissed, her eyes glittering. "I have to be able to trust that you won't let her find out about any of this, alright?"

The Fairy Tailers glanced between one another, rather lost and unsure of where the call for silence was coming from, or why she was stressing it so much. What on earth could happen that would have Hora asking for such secrecy?

There was a small pause, before the Fairy Tailers all around the room nodded, solemness falling over their faces.

"You have our word, she will never know." Erza promised firmly, and Hora's posture wilted a bit as her eyes fell. She bit the inside of her cheek, her head shaking a few times before she shifted, pushing herself up and standing suddenly as Wendy and Happy beside her jumped at how quickly she got up out of nowhere. They stood up too, hovering slightly and watching Hora closely as she stood there, her hands falling on her hips and eyes still closed.

"... if you want to win, you'll need to pick the people on your team that will have the best chance of defeating the toughest opponents from the other Guilds." Hora murmured, the subject suddenly changing and the Fairy Tailers blinked in surprise. "I'm sure you've realized that everyone on SaberTooth's Team won't be easy to take out... But tomorrow everyone in Saber are going to fight with everything they have. They have to win at all costs. Both we and Fairy Tail have too much to lose... " She let out an agitated sigh, "... I'll help you figure out a plan if you want, but I'm not going to tell you my Guild-mates weaknesses. I'm not going to help make it easy for you to beat the SaberTooth team tomorrow, I can't... I won't do that to Sting, Rogue, Rufus or Orga." She mumbled, her fingers on her waist digging in a bit as she growled. "Minerva on the other hand, I could give a damn about." She hissed, her tone nothing but hate and spite so powerful the Fairy Tailers stiffened in shock. Hora's dark blue eyes opened, glittering like mad and full of such fire out of nowhere, the Fairies were reeling slightly.

"I will tell you everything I know about Minerva's Magic, and what weak points I know she has. I don't know much, but to be honest, anything you can get on her and how she fights, you are going to need it." Hora muttered lowly, "And not just so you have a better chance of winning the GMG, but because I need another promise, and I need it from you." Hora murmured steadily, her eyes locking with Erza suddenly. The redhead stiffened slightly at being addressed, her eyes narrowing in question. "You were famous even before the whole Tenrou thing, and I knew you were strong as hell, but I didn't realize just how strong you were until the Pandemonium Event." Hora told her, "The entire time that Minerva has been a member of SaberTooth, I've never felt like anybody could take her on and win, even I doubt I could take her on and win without losing myself in the process. All of this time, I have never once seen anyone in action and automatically had the thought that 'hey, they might actually be stronger than Minerva'." Hora's eyes flashed as one of her hands came up from off her hip, and she pointed straight at Erza. "When I watched you take on all 100 of those monsters, and cut them down one by one even when everyone in the world was against you, and Fairy Tail, and didn't think you had that in you- and you proved the world wrong, it was _amazing_." Hora murmured, "I've honestly never been more exhilarated by a fight in all my life, and it was deserved! And in the middle of it, when I was watching you fight and rooting for you, that thought crossed my mind before I even realized what it meant."

Erza blinked, her expression softening slightly as she saw the way Horatia's eyes were glittering, and saw that fire that had started to burn so suddenly, continue to grow brighter.

"She's amazing, maybe even better than Minerva!" Hora announced firmly, "You are the first person in ten years that I have ever seen and believed could best her, and it's because of that I need you to swear to me that tomorrow in the Grand Magic Games, you will defeat her. You have to face Minerva and you have to beat her!" The Fairy Tailers all around the room blinked, their eyes widening in surprise as they watched the sudden exchange between Hora and Erza.

_Where did this come from..?_

"I need you to do it, because I can't. As much as I hate it, I can't face her without losing someone I care about. You have to beat her, and I have to hope that when you do, everything will work out." Hora murmured, her expression twisting painfully for a moment. "I have to hope that you can do what I can't... I have a chance to help save Yukino and Lucy, but I can't do this, so I need you to do it. Please."

There came a small, heavy moment of sheer silence between them, Hora's eyes locked with that of Titania Erza- the Fairy Queen- and the woman she was now placing the utmost trust in, and hope... and she sorely hoped that Erza could see how much she needed this promise, and how much it meant to her to be asking it at all.

She could feel the eyes of the other Fairy Tailers on the two of them, she could practically hear the gears grinding in their heads as they tried to understand where this was coming from, and why she was asking. She knew they didn't understand, and she knew Erza didn't either, not all the way... but she couldn't say it. She couldn't tell any of them anything before she was absolutely sure that... that she wasn't making a mistake. And for it, she wasn't risking Lector's life.

She saw something light up in Erza's eyes, something like recognition or understanding of a caliber she hadn't expected with such a vague request. But that light faded and the utterly neutral expression that the redhead had adopted turned into something calm and stony and so utterly determined, and Hora's heart picked up.

"You have my word." Erza promised steadily, her arms crossed over her chest and straight backed as she nodded just the once. "With everything I have, I will defeat Minerva. I promise you that." Hora's eyes glittered, a rush of cool and utter relief running through her and what genuine an answer it was... and maybe some small section of that dread hanging over her chipped away.

"You have my word, now can I ask for yours?" Erza said suddenly, and Hora blinked in surprise.

"... Mine...?" She mumbled, her hand falling again in uncertainty and Erza nodded.

"Make sure that both Yukino and Lucy return safely." Erza said steadily, Hora blinked, stunned for but a moment, before her expression hardened and she smiled just faintly.

"You have my word." Hora replied steadily, and Erza's expression softened as she nodded.

"Hmm... I think I rather like you." Erza said simply, and Hora's heart skipped a beat at it, her eyes widening as her face flushed. Erza didn't pause on that for very long though before seriousness came back into her expression, "But away from that, Horatia. Now that you have our promises, are you ready to explain what is truly going on?"

"Yeah, it's damn well passed time." Gajeel grumbled, and Natsu huffed.

"And what did you mean, get SaberTooth disqualified?" Juvia asked lowly,

"Forget that, I wanna know why that asshole tried to kill you!" Natsu butted in hotly, and Hora felt her stomach knot again. What little relief that has come when Erza made her promise was shattered under the very real situation of having to finally explain... All of it.

_Where was she even supposed to start...? Oi..._

"And why in the hell did you never say anything?!" Natsu kept on, what little will he had had to stay mostly quiet the whole time gone now. And now all the questions and outcry that has been burning inside of him since the slew of info she'd blurted out in her (unintended) rant were boiling over and out. "I can't believe you let that bastard get away with any of that! And for how long?! How long were you willing to just take all his bullshit and let yourself get bossed around and hurt?! WHY THE HELL DID ANY OF YOU EVEN LET HIM COME IN AND BE YOUR GUILD MASTER AT ALL?! I WOULD HAVE BEAT HIM TO A PULP THE FIRST TIME HE EVEN TRIED TO LAY A HAND ON ME OR ANYONE ELSE! SCREW BEING AFRAID OF HIM, YOUR GUILD-MATES SHOULD HAVE KICKED HIS ASS TO THE CURB THE FIRST TIME HE EVER HURT YOU, LET ALONE TRIED TO KILL YOU!"

Hora's jaw clenched, her eyes dropping closed as Natsu's volume continued to increase and his anger, frustration and worry all wrapped into one became all the more potent too. And now he was the one ranting, and asking things she had more or less covered in her own rant... Well, sort of.

"... Natsu, we already established this whole situation hasn't been handled all that well... You don't need to keep snapping at me." Hora mumbled, "... try and understand, this all started a really long time ago... I was young, and I grew up being little but a pawn, so my confidence and willingness to try and really fight just wasn't really there, not until I got older. And I realize that's nothing but an excuse... But I was eight." She mumbled, and Natsu's jaw snapped shut audibly, panic and shock rushing over his face. The other Fairy Tailers stiffened, and Hora sighed a little as she kept her eyes on the floor and not on them. "I had only been in SaberTooth for little but a year before Jiemma came into the picture and took over. I was eight years old and still a messed up little kid, and I did try to fight back from the very start... A mistake on my part, because doing so just made Jiemma all the more interested in my Magic and what I could do. He wanted the world's strongest Guild, and I was the perfect start... So he found out a way to make me do whatever the hell he wanted, and make sure I could never get away. He put that Possession Link on the Lacrima, and that was it. I was stuck."

"..y...you've been living with your life in his hands... For that long...?!" Natsu stammered, Hora nodded stiffly. "Y-you gotta be kidding me, how old are you now...?! Like 17...?!"

"... I'm 19." Hora mumbled, and Natsu looked all the more horrified, as did several others- Wendy and Happy especially.

"H-hora that's terrible...!" Wendy squeaked,

"T-that's over ten years!" Happy shrilled,

"Its despicable." Erza muttered lowly, Makarov and Mavis' expressions alike had both darkened considerably, their anger bubbling in silence.

"So you were trapped, and Jiemma could kill you anytime he wanted by destroying that Lacrima in you?" Gajeel asked lowly, "You've been living like a doll, and you've just taken all his abuse for ten freakin' years?"

"Yeah." Hora mumbled softly, the Iron Dragon Slayer grimaced at the utterly calm answer, looking disconcerted by it along with many of the others.

"Who the hell does something like that to a kid...?!" Gray's furious voice made her stiffen, and this time her eyes found him before she could tell herself not to look, and she swallowed.

"... The same sort of person who abuses his Guild, and tries to murder someone in it, in one of the most cruel ways possible." Pantherlily muttered lowly before Hora could try to come up with some answer. The black Exceed's tail twitched behind him, frowning as he bit back what anger had risen in him as it had in all the other Fairy Tailers, and for good reason. Lily had a point though, and they knew it. Those among the group who had been there when they found Hora in the middle of Crocus knew it. She had been writhing around and screaming in agony, a part of herself had been being ripped to pieces and she felt it through every inch of her... And her Magic had gotten so out of hand it seemed to have been tearing her apart from the inside out.

That sort of power over someone and their life was unthinkable, but even more so was the idea anyone would subject another person to that sort of torture. But a Guild Master? A man who was more tyrant than Master and had been so cruel to the people he was supposed to lead and to protect?

Despicable didn't seem an apt enough word

"... And don't blame anyone else in my Guild for not doing anything." Hora murmured, rounding back to Natsu's line of questions from before. "Outside of being scared, I was the first one there of any of them. They got used to my own compliance and lack of retaliation, and they fed off of it. _I_ was the 'normal'... So their unwillingness to fight is my own fault, not theirs." Hora mumbled, Natsu grimaced.

"You still should have said something long before now!" Natsu snapped hotly, "And why did Jiemma try and kill you today, huh?! You were acting weird after the fight with Sting and Rogue, but there's no way Jiemma was so pissed about them losing that be tried to kill you, right?! And what happened after you knocked me out?! Did you seriously rush back to face him by yourself?!" he was pulling against the ropes harder, and she could hear the tendrils starting to split. "WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU WENT BACK THERE?! AND WHERE IN THE HELL IS JIEMMA NOW-?!" Hora's eyes flashed, her lips curling slightly and her expression hardening into something so cold and so steely it was almost terrifying- more terrifying when the words she said next, she said them with no emotion at all.

"Jiemma is dead."

Natsu's jaw snapped shut again and he flinched, an action mirrored in the rest of the Fairy Tailers in the room as Hora's utterly stone cold words ran straight through them. She didn't flinch, she didn't even seem to care, and maybe a lack of empathy was warranted... but she was so icy it was incredibly disconcerting. But more so the statement- because what...?!

_Dead...?!_

"W-what do you...?!" Wendy stammered quickly with Carla in unison,

"Seriously...?" Gajeel and Gray both muttered, both of them looking stricken- they _all_ looked stricken. Because they could tell in an instant that she was serious, it wasn't some sort of ruse or terrible joke, it was real.

Hora wasn't looking at them though, her eyes had not left Natsu, and she saw the fear work it's way into his expression almost instantly. Fear, and wariness and even caution, and her jaw clenched at the look.

"... dead..." Natsu breathed, his onyx eyes flashing as he swallowed. "... Hora... did...?" He seemed to struggle to get the words out, and she huffed at him and the fact he was going to ask... but not surprised.

"No, I didn't kill him." She grumbled lowly, her eye dropping closed as her arms crossed over her chest.

_Though I would have really, really liked to... it's probably better in the long run that it wasn't me... I'm still some semblance of sane..._

"... but... when... h...how..?" Natsu stammered, Hora sighed.

"... when you beat Sting and Rogue in the Games today, we were in serious trouble." Hora murmured, "The whole Guild... Jiemma was on the warpath and Minerva wasn't much better. Sting and Rogue were gonna get punished and we all knew that... and we knew they were so angry that they wouldn't hesitate to dish it out to the rest of the Guild if we got involved. I knew what was going to happen, and I was ready for it... today would have been my last straw." She mumbled, "... that's probably why you thought I was acting 'weird' after the battle. I had made up my mind. I was going to be willing to fight back against both Minerva and Jiemma tonight if they tried to hurt anyone, and I would have done it without caring if Jiemma tried to use the Possession Link against me. I figured if I got angry enough and I let my Magic get out of control, I could take out both of them at once, even if in the end I'd end up dead or damn well close to it." She admitted softly, and she earned wary and slightly agitated looks from the Fairies all around, though she never saw it. "So when the whole Guild started to gather to meet Jiemma's wrath, I followed everyone out toward the main hall, and I did it with the impression that tonight was the last night."

"Hora..." Happy mewed quietly, his eyes glittering and nearly tear-filled.

"Sacrificing yourself is never the answer, even if it is for your friends." Erza murmured lowly, almost scolding and Hora grimaced. "You don't die for your friends, you live for them."

"I never said it was the best plan." She replied quietly, one eye cracking open to glance toward the redhead. "I'm well aware that willingly going into a situation where I'd end up dead is stupid, and I'd never want to leave any of them behind, or make them live with guilt over the idea that I died trying to help them. But I was out of options." Hora grumbled, Erza frowned a little. "I have lived over a decade with that Possession Link on me, and with the reality that it wouldn't go away. I looked for years to find some way to get rid of it, through every book and Magical document, tome, library, whatever. Years spent looking and never once finding any way or anyone or even any little hint of being able to break it. I was stuck with it, and I was stuck with the reality that if and when I tried to stop Jiemma, I was going to end up dead. It didn't matter if Sting or Rogue or anyone else tried to help me do it, and it didn't matter if I wasn't the one who started it or not. Every situation that had to do with going against Jiemma ended with either me being killed for beginning the fight, or being used as blackmail if someone else started it. And all ways I end up dead." Hora grumbled lowly, and Erza's conviction seemed to wane ever so slightly. "I had no other options, like it or not... it was a bad decision, but it was the only one available."

When Erza's eyes dropped away from her, Hora knew that the redhead saw the sense she was making... grudgingly, though.

Hora's eye closed again as she forced herself a calming breath, shaking her head slightly. "... but it hardly matters now, because it never got a chance to come to any of that in the first place." She muttered, "Halfway down the hallway, I got snatched away and dropped on the other side of the city by some weird person-thing that seemed well aware that I was going to end up dead tonight, and that it was necessary in the grand scheme of things... and no, I never got a look at it. I don't know who or what it was, everything was pitch black, and it's scent wasn't right-"

Hora cut off, her shoulders stiffening as her thoughts trailed back to what had happened, and what she'd smelled.

_... one scent... but it smelled like Sting and Rogue, at least some of the way... but it wasn't right. It smelled sour, and twisted... it smelled_ _**wrong.** _

She swallowed, shivers running up her spine at the lingering sensation of those cold hands grabbing hold of her, a voice hissing and emotionless and dead... wicked fingers curling around her body as she was forced closer and paralyzed as she felt strange lips press against hers, and she couldn't pull back.

_"Forgive me, Horatia. But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."_

She shivered again, her hand moving upward to brush against her mouth ever so lightly, and she felt her stomach knot in a million different ways.

_... if I was supposed to end up dead... and whoever that was... they saw me die a first time? Like... seeing the future, or...?_

_... shit... this is really starting to freak me out... the Eclipse Gate is supposed to mess with time, right...? Could that mean... whoever that was... they... they did see some version of me end up dead tonight? And... and they know me...? Enough to know that Rogue would realize what happened, and that it all started because of what Sting did, going after Jiemma...?_

_... but... who the hell...?_

She sucked in a breath of air and held it, biting back at the suddenly rising panic and fear in her core that had her shivering, again. The dread that was still hanging over her was suffocating, and even more so as her thoughts wandered back to that... to that Stranger, and what they said... and what it meant.

_... s...shit... I don't like this... this isn't right... this... this is wrong... all of it... and I... I don't understand..._

... what happens... if the future that that Stranger knew... didn't happen? She wasn't dead, she'd survived... was that part of the plan? It couldn't have been, right? It said that Rogue needed to realize why she'd ended up dead...

_... but... why Rogue...?_

She shuddered again and her stomach knotted so tightly it was utterly painful.

_... It... can't have been... right...?_

"Hora?"

Mirajane's gentle voice snapped Hora from her pestering, endless pit of thoughts and she jumped without meaning too, her eyes openeing to find the white-haired woman.

"... are you alright?" She asked slowly, and Hora cursed herself for getting so off-track.. _again!_

"Y-yeah, sorry..." Hora replied quickly, shaking herself off and her fears with it, as much as she could anyway. "... I didn't mean to fade off like that, it... the whole getting snatched thing was just so disorienting, and confusing, and thinking about it... it's still got me reeling..." She explained, "... ah... sorry, back to what I was saying... so while that was happening, back at the Inn Jiemma started to really lay into both Sting and Rogue for losing the match." She murmured, mentally blocking off all thoughts and things having to do with the Stranger and what all of it meant. She still had things to explain, and the bit about Jiemma being dead and the story behind that was a little too pressing to keep dragging in out like she was.

_.... but damn it... today just really, really sucks......_

"... From what everyone told me when I got back, Jiemma was throwing them around pretty hard, and they were already hurt from having fought with Salamander... he was just adding on more damage, and a lot more of it." Hora mumbled, her tone dropping slightly as the Fairy Tailers frowned at the idea. "Jiemma was always cruel, but he'd mostly refrained from being too hard on Sting and Rogue before... they've never really done anything to piss him off as much as he was today, and he was furious... so he was ten times worse than usual."

_Bastard_

"... Things got really out of hand, really, really fast." Hora muttered, "All of it, between me getting snatched away without no one realizing it happened, to Jiemma starting to beat Sting and Rogue to a pulp, things were already _bad_... but then Lector stepped in and tried to talk Jiemma down, and Jiemma did _not_ like that." Hora mumbled, her stomach knotting just that little bit more. "Before any of them even realized what happened, or could even think about reacting, Jiemma turned his anger on Lector and he tried to obliterate him, and he nearly did. But all any of them saw was Lector getting turned into dust." Hora growled, her fingers digging into her arms. "He was dead. Everyone saw that and they beleived it, and it terrified them... Jiemma killed Lector without so much as a care, and Sting _snapped._ "

_For good reason_

"It happened in an instant. All of that pain and rage and anger and fear all wrapped into one at seeing Lector getting murdered like that... all it took was a single second of losing control, and Sting lashed out at Jiemma, and with only one blow- but one was enough." Hora said lowly, "Jiemma probably didn't even see it coming, no one would have... it all just spiraled out of control and no one in the Guild knew what to do or even what had happened. One minute Sting and Rogue were being thrown around, and then Lector was dead, and then the next... Jiemma was lying on the floor bleeding to death... they were all reeling and Minerva didn't make it any better. She stepped in and took control of the whole situation and left Jiemma on the floor to bleed out..." She went on lowly, before pausing as she grumbled a bit. "... Which spurred the whole Jiemma trying to kill me thing." Hora muttered, "He was pissed about being beat, so he figured if he was gonna die, he was gonna get back at Sting and everyone else by taking me with him."

Everyone in the room grimaced at that, a mixture of anger and hate and worry passing among them all as they continued to listen in stony silence, and Hora certainly didn't pause for very long.

"So he started to break the Possession Link, and that started to kill me... And then all of that happened out in the city, with Wendy and everyone else, and you already got told the gist about that, so I'm not gonna re-explain it." the Saber Wizard muttered lowly, "But all of that was going on while Minerva stepped in, and nobody realized what Jiemma was doing until way after he started... And Rogue realized what was going on. But by the time I got back there, all of this stuff had already happened- and Minerva had already done what she had and I couldn't do anything to change it." Hora grumbled, the Fairy Tailers blinked in question.

"So anyway... Retracting a bit... Minerva had taken Lector away right before Jiemma managed to hurt him, so he didn't actually get killed. But now she has him captive inside of her Magic." The Fairy Tailer's stiffened at the news, their expressions slowly darkening with every second the story kept on. "She's using Lector as leverage over everyone in the Guild, and she's planning to hurt him if we try to oppose her, and... and if we don't win the Grand Magic Games tomorrow, she's never going to let him go. And while she has him, his life is in danger, every single second. She's not afraid of hurting him to get what she wants, and she knows the only way that the Guild will listen to her now with Jiemma gone is by making sure she can manipulate us. And she's doing it with his life."

"... that is why you asked me to defeat her." Erza murmured lowly, her eyes steely as she bit back at the anger that flared to life in her core at Minerva's actions, and wickedness. Hora nodded,

"I can't try and fight her, because the minute that I do, she will hurt Lector in order to get me to obey, and I am not fast enough to prevent her from doing it. Not with how her Magic works." Hora muttered, "But she can't use Lector against you like she can with my Guild, and she knows that. When you fight her, it'll just be about winning and she won't be focused on him- and if you can beat her, even enough just to waste all her Magic Energy or disrupt her hold on her Magic somehow- Lector will be set free if her Magic fails, and he won't be in danger anymore."

"And you can't risk SaberTooth being disqualified from the Games now that you no longer have a Guild Master, because Minerva is set on winning the Games, hmm?" Makarov intoned lowly, and Hora glanced to him. "Which is why having Fairy Tail win the Games would cause trouble for you."

"Yeah." Hora mumbled lowly, "She wants us to win so we can still be the strongest Guild, but we don't give a damn about that. The goal isn't to win the GMG, it's to get Lector back and safe... it's just that winning the Games is the only option we have to do that. So tomorrow, the SaberTooth Team is gonna give everything they have to win, they have to, for Lector." Hora's eyes moved back to Erza. "But if you can beat Minerva and set Lector free, we don't have a reason to want to win the Games anymore. And if we get Lector back, Minerva loses all her power over us and we don't have to do a damn thing she says, not ever again."

"So it seems the best outcome in all of this, relies on our ability to stage a succesful rescue of Lucy and Yukino from the King, as well as coming up with a plan to completely defeat all of the other Wizards in the GMG- Minerva especially, in order to set Lector free. Which would of course leave SaberTooth with no need to win, and Fairy Tail could earn a sound victory of the Grand Magic Games."

Everyone's attention shifted in surprise toward the sudden input from a certain blonde girl, who had for a long while, been sitting on the bar listening and watching in absolute silence. Hora glanced over quickly, blinking a few times in surprise and earning the girl's serene green eyes, calm as can be and steady as she returned Hora's gaze.

"Should Erza be sucessful in defeating Minerva, and Lector is returned safely, our chances of winning the Grand Magic Games improve. And in doing that, our need to claim victory can be satsfied with no real consequences befalling your Guild once Lector is free, and Minerva loses her leverage over all of you, yes?" Mavis murmured lightly, Hora paused, before nodding slowly. "While it is true we cannot trust the Minister of Defense and his word that winning the Games would earn Lucy leniancy, it is still an avenue we need to take. But Yukino is not given that chance, so me must launch our own rescue regardless... and if the rescue plan works, and we succeed tomorrow in the games, we could manage to get through all of this with both sides happy." She said simply, and Hora swallowed.

"... I mean I guess... but _everything_ has to work out like we want." Hora mumbled, "And that's not taking into account things going screwy along the way or anything, and being able to handle that when it comes up... I know you guys are strong and everything, and I know this means a lot to you, but it's not gonna be a walk in the park or anything."

"Of course it won't be." Mavis replied with ease, "But with your insight to Minerva's Magic, and with a carefully structured strategy based upon what I've observed in the Games, we could contend with any issues that arise, and give ourselves the best chance of making all of this work." Hora bit the inside of her cheek,

"... you don't know hardly anything about the opponents." She mumbled, "Kagura's been a mystery the whole time she'd been around, and Jura's just a powerhouse, and there are plenty of other strong Wizards in Lamia and Pegasus and everywhere else... and I'm not going to tell you about Sting, or Rogue, or Rufus and Orga..." Mavis smiled, the action making Hora trail off as she shook her head at the Saber woman.

"I don't need you to." She replied simply,

"And we wouldn't want it anyway." Gajeel huffed, Hora blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, we wanna beat those guys on our own, not with some trade-secret stuff." Gray muttered, "We got our own beef with your Guild, and we'll settle it on our terms, and with our own power." Hora swallowed, her eyes darting his way and feeling her heart clench.

_... beef...? I know we've not been kind, but what sort of beef does Gray have....?  
_

_... it.... it doesn't matter, Hora.... if you keep thinking about him, you're gonna freak out again... stop._

She forced herself to look away and to ignore the question. She did her best to cast Gray and her swirling emotions to the back of her mind, and she focused on Mavis, glancing back toward the still so very tranquil and placid figure of the First Fairy Tail Guild Master. ... How could she seem so calm, with all of this? So calm facing the very real fact that they were going to be facing nothing but a massive challenge tomorrow? And one where so, so many things could go wrong? Where so much had _already_ gone wrong and the world seemed to have gone insane?

And how can she say she... has a plan? And that it will work...? How is she so confident, under such massive stakes?

"... you're gonna need a hell of a plan..." Hora mumbled softly, Mavis smiled.

"Yes." She hummed brightly, a sudden gleam and a certain sort of fire that Hora didn't recognize started to bubble underneath that unwavering composure. "But that is my role to play. Over the last few days I have watched all the other opponents in the games and I have compiled a comprehensive review of thieir capabilites, and their weak points, as well as how our members will match up against them." Hora blinked, her eyes widening slightly as her heart skipped a beat. Mavis' smile faded just slightly, turning into something almost fearless, and so utterly _calculating._

 _'... this girl...'_ Lixue hummed lowly, Hora just stared, her mind reeling again.

Mavis nodded just once, her green eyes blazing as Hora held that gaze in rigid suspense, her heart picking up and some strange sort of... of power suddenly pricking in the back of her mind, and it was coming from the First.

"It will take work, and I must be sure of the strategy we follow. But I intend to create a sure-proof plan that will lead us all to victory, Fairy Tail and SaberTooth both." Mavis hummed and Hora swallowed,

_Both_

"If we work together, we can do this. I give you my word, Horatia. It is time we work together and help one another with everything we have."

* * *

**LOTS of info in this Chapter, but hopefully it wasn't too boring! And I hope you all enjoyed it~!**

**Thank you for reading, and your continued support! I appreciate every single one of you!**

**Please Comment if ya can! Thanks!**

 


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